Spring 2008 This issue is dedicated to Earth Day! Hippymom encourages members and readers to remember the Earth by recycling, conserving and respecting her majesty.
Yeah, I told Chad I wanted a boob job. He tossed me a roll of duct tape. - Ariel
K when you said chatter. I thought you were like.. asking him things like *hey you wanna go get a sandwich after we're done* which has been known to happen during sex here.
-samezsilli
There is only a few ways you can get turd on your hand - miskayblu
My daughter just told me we needed a new house. I told her to get a job.
- McLovin
I am here! I'm low on tie-dye undies though. Come to think of it I'm low on undies. Who need undies anyway? Wheeeee!!!! - Kozmique
I have super-paranoia
I wish I could mind read
again with the paranoia - crazycase
As a woman, I find it very embarrassing to be in a meeting and realize I'm the only one in the room with balls.
~ Rita Mae Brown
• Women and elephants never forget.
• A girl's best friend is her mutter.
• I require only three things of a man. He must be handsome, ruthless and stupid.
• The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
~ Dorothy Parker
Tarot's "Identity Crisis" Spread
Red Card - your significator. Pick a Court Card to represent yourself.
1: Where am I now?
2: Where have I been?
3: How did I get here?
4: Where am I going?
5: What should I leave behind?
6: What should I take with me?
7: What is my first step?
8: What are the challenges I will face?
9: Where will I find my support?
In November of 2006 my world fell apart. We were at the neurologist for an appointment for Garretts epilepsy. The Dr. was talking to us, and asked to be excused for a moment. I sat there in the room, with my two sons. Gavin was sitting in the floor looking at a book, well eating the book, And then there was Garrett, who sat in the corner, alone, rocking, and oblivious to everything. A few moments later, the Dr returned, along with another Dr. and a resident. He said they just wanted to observe. I still had no idea anything was going on. We were at a teaching hospital. I thought that was what was going on. In a way it was. The neuro started asking me questions about his seizures, then moved on to his behavior. I was thinking, yeah, so what, he is a little quirky. All kids are different though, so it is to be expected. The Dr. started his exam on Garrett, and Garrett did not like it. He got very upset, and started "smacking" at the Dr. Yeah, it is normal I told him. When he gets upset, we play baby bird. It seems to calm him down after a while. The Drs left the room for a little bit. When he came back, he had a referral form for me. He said he wanted to send Garrett to another specialist. That is when I heard it for the first time. He thought Garrett had Autism. I do not remember the rest of our conversation. I do not remember how I got the boys to the car, or how I got home.
We finally got in with the autism clinic 5 months later. They did a whole battery of evaluations on Garrett. I had hundreds of questions to answer. He saw a psychologist, a developmental pediatrician, speech, occupational, physical and behavioral therapist, support staff, social services, and many residents. If there was anything I did not know about my son, I did after those appointments. Walking out of the appointments, I felt defeated and exhilarated all at the same time. Garrett has always been developmentally delayed. He has always had "issues". And we finally had a reason for it.
Garretts official diagnosis is PDD-NOS. Over the last year, we have done multiple therapy. On Mondays, we have a therapist who comes into the home and works with Garrett for 2.5 hours. She works on everything, speech, fine motor, gross motor, behavior, a little of all of it. On Tuesdays, Garrett has occupational therapy in the home in the morning. Every other Tuesday, in the late afternoon, we drive 40 min one way to childrens for behavioral therapy. On Wed, we go out of the home for speech through early intervention. On Thursday, we drive 40 min one way for speech at childrens hospital. Fridays are reserved for Dr. appointments, and outings. In addition to the therapist who come in and out of the home, we also do a good deal of therapy ourselves. Garrett is on a pretty strict daily schedule. His routine has to be the same every day. Even the smallest change can make for a horrid day for him.
We go back next week for our annual re-evaluation. At that time we will see what changes need to be made in Garretts therapy. I am anxious for this appointment, because Garrett has made such huge strides in the last year. He is verbal now, where he was not this time last year. That alone is huge.
I have no idea where the future will lead. I have no idea how I will answer when he starts having questions, or when his brother or friends start asking questions. For now, we take things one day at a time. We cry with every meltdown, and we celebrate with every new word. If people can learn to look past the meltdowns, stimming, and get over being uncomfortable, they will learn to love the child who brings so much joy to my life.
Adventures in Co-Sleeping:
Why Having a Family Bed is A Venture Unto Itself
We started the “family bed” (co-sleeping to some) by accidental necessity. I say accidental because we really didn’t mean to, it just happened one night while we were both very desperate and at our wits end only to wake up the next morning with our newborn snuggled up between our seemingly lifeless bodies. The necessity part came after we slowly discovered that every time we repeated this sleeping arrangement we ended up getting more beneficial rest than what we were doing by trading shifts and staying up all night.
I guess I was somewhat used to the concept because although we didn’t know it at the time, I grew up sleeping in a family bed. My Dad worked nights or just generally wasn’t there when I was an infant and because my Mom, having 7 siblings in a 4 room house and now moving to a new town without benefit of any transportation or family and friends nearby, was alone for the first time in her life with only a baby to talk to, I snuggled in with her. When my sister arrived five years later and my Dad got a new job we switched out the crib for a full bed and the two of us, big sister and baby sister, snuggled up together for the next few years. It wasn’t odd to us because we were used to it, and it wasn’t odd to my mother because she’d never had a bed to herself in her entire life!
Of course we were met with some opposition from everyone from well meaning friends to the overbearing and over opinionated relative. “Aren’t you afraid to squish him in your sleep?” “Jared’s a big guy, what if he rolls over onto him?” or “That’s going to spoil him! You’ll have a heck of a time getting him in his own bed!” “Let him cry it out! He’ll learn to get over it!” the later of the advice being one that almost sent me leaping across the room to break someone’s neck. This was my baby! I wasn’t about to let him scream it out because he is only a few weeks old and wants to be cuddled! I’ll let him sleep in the middle until we have 12 kids and have to hang them from the ceiling fan to be in the same room with us!
A few weeks into our new “family” relationship, we noticed that our new bundle of joy seemed to be having a really hard time with the sleeping issue. It seemed as though as soon as we would get him breastfed, sound asleep, and we would lay our heads down on the pillow, “AHHH!!!!!wwWWWaaaAAAHhh!” and up we’d go to see a crib full of spit up and spend the next hour calming him down, changing crib sheets, blankets, onesies, spraying stain remover on all items and throwing them into the washer no matter the time, and then redressing and replacing bedding to repeat the process all over again. It wasn’t until after we had exhausted gas relief drops, and spent most of the day doing mountains of laundry and tending to what we thought was just a colicky baby that we went to the Pediatrician for tests. Finding out that your child has reflux and that he could’ve strangled himself with spit up during the night or at anytime is one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever dealt with. The upper G.I. scan they did wasn’t too bad, the idea that he may have a hole somewhere that would require surgery to fix wasn’t even sinking in to me, but the fact that this whole time I had been putting him in his own little crib on the other side of the room just made me feel like the lowest of the low and all the “what if’s” that ran though my mind were enough to make me realize that if I didn’t stop them that I’d need to be medicated or flat out committed.
The great thing about GERD/Reflux is that it’s something you have no control over, can be medicated but doesn’t take away the disease completely, and sends you on an emotional roller coaster like you wouldn’t believe. You’re so fed up with laundry, stains, that smell, the dampness, the rash that follows, it’s just not pleasant, and I think what really hit home with my husband Jared, was the night that our little Kyan was up crying and on his 3rd outfit in two hours as I sat in the rocking chair covered it spit up, crying louder than our child that I wanted my own Mommy. We both knew we were exhausted, we both knew I needed a break, and we both knew that we were dealing with something we’d inevitably get through (although sadly to say that it can take up to 9 months, and in our case almost 10 for it to completely stop. It does gradually lessen with time and the introduction of solid foods, but it feels like eternity when you’re going through it. Also, the toll it takes on a breastfeeding mother is horrible. Not only are you trying to feed your baby, not knowing if he’s getting enough of what you’re giving him before it comes back up and then having to supplement special formulas with baby cereal 2 oz. at a time as a back up makes you feel like a failure or like it may not be worth it in the long run). We needed help, fast.
That night, we crept upstairs, taking Kyan and rocking him for a few minutes and then snuggling him while Jared put down the waterproof pads, a few receiving blankets, and a stand by change of clothes for Ky, and then holding him while I put on different night clothes and washed myself off. We laid down together, the three of us, and drifted off to sleep one of many nights from then on out that we would all spend tucked up together without worry, without multiple checks on the baby, without getting up to feed, just the three of us.
Kyan did eventually have to sleep in his baby swing for a few months although we continued to implement the family bed as much as possible. We learned that with our particular child that it was best to keep him upright as much as possible and although it was hard to do this because almost every diaper change seemed to lead up to picking him up and watching him erupt like a volcano, even putting him in and out of the baby carrier or the stroller sometimes was enough to get a little gush, so for 30 minutes after each feeding (which to an on demand fed baby is almost all the time) we would strap him in the baby backpack or the bouncy chair and later on the walker and pray he didn’t jump too much to shake himself up. But it was times like naps and when he’d wake up to feed in the middle of the night, and mornings when he’d need one of his three breakfasts and Daddy would be getting ready for work and snuggle him close to me while I dozed and he fed that it was nice to have the option to bring my child into bed with me. I didn’t once think that we were spoiling him or how hard it would be to get him to sleep in his own crib because, hey, we had spent nine months sleeping together while he was in my womb and now a few months later we were still together, he was part of me and he felt comfortable and that’s all that mattered. As far as I was concerned (and still am) any person who wanted to take a turn sitting up at 3 a.m. with a child who is dumping almost a full cup of already digested breast milk down your back or your cleavage was more than welcome to come and help out at any time!
We’re now at almost 20 months and although he does have his own room with a nice new big boy crib there still are nights when I hear that “Mommy” in the monitor or even just some tossing and turning that makes me get out of bed and pick my little guy up and carry him back to our room to snuggle. There have been kicks to the ribs, times when we woke up each hugging the edge of our bed only to find him laying sideways making us a human “H”, and the breeze that occurs when he kicks off his covers and leaves your butt completely exposed to a nice winter draft. We’ve also had some mishaps where we woke up to find that Kyan had caught the flu and our morning hug was replaced by vomiting and the panic run of who cleans up the bed and who takes him directly to the bathtub and if you listen closely you can hear “Memories” being sung by Barbara Streisand in the background as we both yell from room to room “Why are you grossed out by that?! Don’t you remember when that was an hourly thing?!” We also, with the introduction of pronouns and a nice clingy “My Mommy!” attitude laden little boy, are now dealing with explaining that this is Mommy’s side and we can’t kick Daddy out of the bed so that it’s just Kyan and Mommy’s bed so that is Daddy’s side and sometimes Kyan sleeps in the middle. Jared is used to getting up in the morning to find Kyan already laying between us, and if not, to go and pick him up and put him in bed with me before he starts the shower. Never a complaint, never a second thought, and even some nights I’ll hear “It’s really weird sometimes that Kyan isn’t right here with us”, even when he was complaining about stubbing his toe on a crib we rarely used or the squeaky baby jumping on his mattress at 8 a.m. on a Saturday wanting to snuggle up and sleep in with Da-da.
The family bed isn’t for everyone, and it certainly isn’t for every parent. I’ve gotten mixed reactions from all walks of life as well as during every stage of our son’s. I think our families have come to realize that our style of parenting isn’t in any way the traditional kind, and although some are totally understanding and some try to totally disregard our wishes, we seem to function well enough to get compliments on how well adjusted our child is. There are moments when he’s extra clingy and you wonder why he doesn’t mind your morning breath enough to plant a bunch of kisses and a “hey you!” on you when he wakes up and sees you laying beside him first thing in the morning, and there are times when he nearly kicks you out of bed wanting it all to his little self, but after nine months inutero and another twenty out her with us, I wouldn’t second guess our decision to co-sleep and implement the family bed for anything!
"There is space within sisterhood for likeness and difference, for the subtle differences that challenge and delight; there is space for disappointment--and surprise. " - Christine Downing
Living with Diverticulitis
Many women suffer from some type of irritable bowel condition, yet most will just suffer with the pain and inconvenience it causes. A few years ago, I began having severe abdominal pain as well as pain while defecating. I was embarrassed to discuss this with my doctor. “Popping issues” is just something most women don’t care to talk about. It is embarrassing and frustrating.
After the pain was nearly unbearable I finally went to see my family doctor. I told him all about my abdominal pain. He scheduled me for a CT Scan and then began asking questions about my bowel movements. I’ll bet my face was red as a beet, but I answered him honestly. He told me he had a suspicion that I was suffering from diverticulitis. I said diverticu-what? So he explained to me in layman’s terms that it meant I had small pouches on my colon and by eating certain foods it would cause these pouches to fill up with waste and toxics then they may break or tear. The breaking of the pouches can then cause bleeding and both the breaking and bleeding cause not only abdominal pain, but pain during bowel movements. After having the CT Scan performed, my doctor called to confirm that I did indeed have diverticulitis. I scheduled an appointment to discuss the condition and was put not only on a medication to help relax the digestive system but also informed on dietary needs.
Science has come along way in the treatment of diverticulitis and other irritable bowl conditions. For me, I have found one medication that works very well for me, especially combined with diet control. But I personally feel that diet control is the best form of prevention and I think this is true with most bowel conditions. For diverticulitis sufferers, itt’s important to stay away from seeds, nuts, husks and kernels. It’s also important for a healthy body and digestive tract to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and fiber along with plenty of daily water intake.
According to www.dietsite.com here are some beneficial herbs and dietary recommendations for people suffering from diverticulitis:
BENEFICIAL HERBS:
· Alfalfa aids digestion and the leaves of alfalfa are rich in minerals and nutrients, including chlorophyll, which aids in detoxifying the body. It can be taken in liquid or tablet form.
· Herbs that help constipation include rhubarb, psyllium, and senna leaves.
· Pau d’arco promotes good digestion, cures fungal infections, and helps fight parasitic infections
· Goldenseal, papaya (the dried latex of the papaya is marketed under the names papayotin, papain or papoid), red clover, and yarrow are beneficial for diverticulitis. Caution: Do not take goldenseal on a daily basis for more than a week at a time, and do not use during pregnancy. Do not give goldenseal to children under two. Do not use goldenseal without consulting a physician if you have had heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, a stroke, or high blood pressure.
· Caraway and peppermint teas are excellent digestive aids (recommend drinking peppermint tea after meals).
· Basil is an effective remedy for a variety of digestive disorders and promotes normal bowel function
· Chamomile tea at bedtime is gentle and calming Caution: Do not use chamomile on an ongoing basis, as ragweed allergy may result. Avoid it completely if you are allergic to ragweed.
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS:
· The key to controlling diverticulitis is to consume an adequate amount of fiber and lots of quality water. You need at least 30 grams of fiber each day. You may prefer to supplement your diet with a bulk product and/or a stool softener that contains methylcellulose or psyllium, since these do not promote as much gas formation in the colon as other sources of fiber, especially wheat bran.
· Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Herbal teas, broth, and fresh juices can account for some of the liquid needed. Liquid aids in keeping the pouch-like areas clean of toxic wastes, preventing inflammation.
· Soluble fiber is a must for the long-term prevention of constipation and recurrence of diverticulitis.
· Eat 100% whole wheat bread, cereals high in bran, plenty of fruits and vegetables
· Add "millers bran" (unprocessed bran) to every meal and gradually up the dose until one or two soft stools a day without straining.
· Each person must find the amount of bran required by trial and error over a period of at least three months.
· Excessive vitamin C intake (greater than 1,200 milligrams a day) can cause diarrhea
Before trying any herbal remedies or dietary changes, please consult your physician first and some herb or dietary changes can affect certain medications.
Justin is now 7. He was diagnosed with Autism at 2 1/2 years old. He has a hard time with public and with a lot of children. He would rather be playing on his computer and his Play station. He is very good at both. He is excellent with Math and Reading. He is in 1st grade soon to be 2nd and he can do 3rd grade math and reading already. He sometimes can throw his fits about something not going right, but can be very loving. He loves hugs and kisses. If he sees an adult crying or another child he wants to console them. He makes his teacher feel better by patting her on the back and telling her it will be okay. I am very close to him and I never leave him anywhere with anyone except my oldest sister or mom. I am very careful at who is around him. I don't like to cause him extra stress.
Looking, Feeling, and Doing Good
Hippymom Goes Shopping.
Just because you’re a “Hippie Mom” doesn’t mean you’re not a professional. It does mean, however, that when it comes to choosing your wardrobe you need it to perform a dual role. You want your clothing to define you as a force to be reckoned with in the workplace, and you want it to support your ethical choices in regard to sustainability and the environment.
There’s no end to clothing options in our society, but when you make a list of all your personal requirements, the choices suddenly become much narrower. Among other things, an eco-conscious professional modern woman needs her wardrobe to be:
Comfortable
Sustainable
Cruelty-free
Ethically manufactured
Attractive
Versatile
Flattering
Affordable
Suddenly you realize that shopping for work clothes has become a challenge. But that’s ok. We like a good challenge…especially when it involves shopping.
Before you get out your credit card, the first thing you want to do is take a thorough inventory of everything you already have in your closet. Identify the items that fit you now—not ones you hope to fit into in the future. Take out anything that doesn’t fit you and either give it away, put it in storage, or take it for alterations.
Then, using the pieces of your current wardrobe, make a list of items you need to create complete outfits. You can use a simple piece of notebook paper, or use an existing wardrobe planning sheet such as this one: click here
Once you’ve identified what you need to buy, you can prepare to shop. And I do mean prepare. Don’t just head out to the commerce jungle without necessary supplies and a plan of action. Gather together any gift cards, coupons or discount cards, ads or other items that you might want to use. Put on an outfit that looks nice but is comfortable and easy to take on and off. Do your hair and makeup. Bring water, snacks, and be prepared to take breaks as needed.
Most importantly: Do not buy anything unless you’re certain it looks great on you. Do not buy something that will “just do”. Mentally prepare yourself for taking all the time and as many trips as you need to buy the perfect clothes for yourself. It’s better to find one pair of pants that you absolutely love than six pair that you know makes your butt look big. Remember that.
As you shop, try everything on. If it doesn’t look great, don’t buy it. Not just “fine”—GREAT. Don’t just buy something because it’s on sale. Don’t buy it because you’re planning to lose 10lbs. Buy it if it looks good in the dressing room under the fluorescent lights. You are perfectly capable of developing your own individual style that is ideal for your figure, so don’t rely on what fashion magazines to tell you what to wear. 98% of all women on the planet do not have the body of a fashion model. We need to get real. If you really feel that you can’t tell what looks good, take a friend you know you can trust to shop with you and give you an honest opinion as you try things on.
One of the best ways you can save money and the earth is to buy second hand or vintage clothing. Most communities have several of these kinds of shops, and while you may have to dig through things, you will find unique pieces at a fraction of the price you’d pay for new clothing.
When buying new clothes, look for organics or for clothing made in the U.S. or which bears the label “free trade”. It might cost a little more—but consider a new motto: Spend More, Buy Less. Talk to the shop owners and ask them about the origins of the clothes they are selling. Look for quality in both materials and craftsmanship.
Remember that the appearance of simple clothing can be drastically changed by accessories. An organic cotton shirt can become a totally different style with the use of a contrasting belt, a large necklace, a shawl, a sweater vest, or a blazer. Keep the foundation pieces in your wardrobe clean, simple and versatile and use accessories to build unique looks around them. Accessories—both new and vintage—are usually very affordable and can even be made if you have any artistic ability yourself.
Finally, pay attention to the basics: Your skin, hair, nails, teeth and cosmetics. If these things are in good shape you can walk around in a potato sack and feel confident. Make sure you have a routine for your grooming. It can make all the difference in how you feel in your clothing—whatever you wear.
Whether returning from maternity leave, or after a longer period of time, here are some ways to ease the transition. Ready your support network
Family, friends, online forums – use them all!! Line up who can be called in case of an emergency and who can be your confidante, when you need to vent. Discuss flexibilty with your employer
Consider starting back on a part-time basis, or telecommuting part of the week. Start back to work on a Thursday
Working just two days, and then having the weekend aids in the transition back to work. If you’re continuing to breastfeed, pump regularly, in order to keep your supply consistent
I wish I had known about these when I was pumping: Easy Expression Products Mother's Milk Boutique Use your lunch hour to run errands, or just have some time for yourself
I know, from personal experience, that sometimes this is the only way I can get out of the grocery store without a cart full of things we don’t really need. Allow yourself to feel [inset emotion here]
You are going to have many emotions, during this transition – guilt, happiness, fear, anger, sadness. They are all valid and should be acknowledged. Take your time, none of this is going to happen overnight
ON EARTH DAY AND EVERY DAY YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH
With the cost of medical care rising every year, it pays to know how the local environment, including your own home, is affecting your family’s health.
That’s the opinion of Kathleen Rogers and she should know. As President of Earth Day Network, an environmental group based in Washington, DC, she has been an expert on the environmental movement for over 20 years. “There has been growing trend in research that shows that environmental toxins that damage your health may be present at higher levels in the home that outside on the street” she stated. Earth Day Network’s theme for 2005 is “Protect Our Children and Our Future” and it is the children in our homes that Kathleen says we should be most worried about.
Previous research carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that children are adversely affected by environmental pollutants more than adults. The main and most poignant reason for this is simple: their size. Children, in proportion, are more heavily exposed to toxins per unit of body weight. Children eat more food, drink more water and breathe more air than adults in relation to their body size, all of which are potential sources of contamination. Children also have chemical loads past onto them from previous generations to contend with. WHO states that a child born today has 300 chemical residues present in their bodies that were not present in their Grandparents. These residues were bioaccumulated by the parents and passed onto the unborn child in the womb. As the chemicals cannot be broken down or processed by the body they stored in the vital organs, added to over a lifetime of exposure and can lead to severe health problems in later life.
Asthma is just one very concerning example of how increasing levels of environmental pollution is affecting America’s health. The American Lung Association reports that asthma is now the leading chronic childhood diseases in the USA. Over the past 10 years the reported cases of asthma in the USA have doubled. While certain genetic factors can make a person predisposed to developing asthma Scientists believe that it is the environmental factors such as pollution from chemicals, animal hair, dust mites, and cigarette smoke are responsible for the large increase.
Often lamented by parents is the fact that children are spending more time than any previous generation inside the home. Indoor air pollution is ranked among the top five environmental risks to the public by the Environmental Protection Agency and the effect on our health is shown by ever rising asthma rates. However, according to Kathleen there are a number of easy and inexpensive ways you can take to limit your family’s exposure and protect their health, including:
Ensure your home has an effective, well maintained ventilation system. Changing filters on your air conditioning unit regularly will stop airborne pollutants being re-circulated throughout your home. If your home does not have air ventilation system, or you are conserving energy open a window at least once a day. This will ensure some of the pollutants in the air are removed and is particularly important if someone smokes in the house, uses biomass fuels (coal, wood, or oil) or you are cooking
Avoid smoking around children or in the home. Most people know that passive smoking is harmful; however smoking in the house can be harmful to its inhabitants even when the smoke appears to have cleared. There are many toxins in cigarette smoke; the heaviest of these accumulate at floor level where there is little air circulation. Children and toddlers playing on the floor are will be inhaling these toxins on a daily basis even though the air and carpet looks clean.
Reduce the use of unnecessary chemicals. Everyone wants a clean home; however chemicals in the cleaning products that are being used may be more harmful to your health than the dirt that is being cleaned away. There are many effective natural and less harmful alternatives available at your local supermarket. When chemicals are required ensure that they are correctly stored and disposed of in a responsible manner to prevent contamination.
Introduce plants to the home. Plants can absorb many airborne chemicals and filter the air. When selecting plants avoid flowering specimens as these will bring pollen into the home and inspect the plants for disease and pest infestation before bringing them indoors.
Vacuum floors and mattresses regularly. Regular vacuuming removes dust, pollutants, and mites as well as helping to circulate air in the room. Replace filters on cleaners regularly to ensure the pollutants are being removed from the air.
~ Earth Day Network
Rediscovering Motherhood
Motherhood, by definition, is the state of being a mother. I don't think there could be a more vague description of the word that has unquestionably changed my entire life. And like most moms, I sometimes mull over the person I was before I entered this exclusive "sorority". And I know in a lot of ways motherhood changes you for the better, but I often find myself sitting in the back of the room copying the answers from someone next to me who may still has a clue left.
Don't get me wrong, I love my children more than anything in this world. But, I gave up a lot when I had them and in return I have acquired - a designer diaper bag, the good sense to use bribery, a surprisingly high tolerance for stress, a true love for alcoholic beverages, a prescription for xanax, and five loads of laundry a week. Some days just have better perks than others.
Seriously, my days are fully animated as I assume the roles as the chef, the housekeeper, the career woman, and occasionally, the referee. And while those are absolutely mandatory daily assignments, it truly leaves very little time for anything else. I often wonder what happened to me – the old me. I was actually someone else before I got this new, snazzy gig! And, somehow, I just know that I'm not the only mother who feels this way. Since this amazing discovery and plenty of self reflection later, I made a point to write down some of what made me, me, then & what makes me, me, now. My goal is that these two people will eventually morph in to something utterly fabulous. Yes, you guessed it, THE NEW ME!
The point of this all is that we should absolutely find balance between being the devoted mother and the person we used to be. We can climb Mt. Everest with our Peg Perego stroller if that's where our dreams take us. When we inhibit ourselves we aren't genuinely being true to ourselves.
I invite all of you to take some time to yourself this month. Find a part of you that has been lying dormant for a while & revive her! Let’s stop cheating off of the person sitting next to us. There is truly nothing like a little rediscovery to get you motivated for absolute greatness.
The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself.
- Anais Nin
WeeHands:
Signing Tip to Encourage Language Development
I happen to have just gotten off the phone this snowy Monday morning (brrr!) with a mom inquiring about WeeHands classes. She knows her baby is ready to start signing because her daughter is pointing to objects and looking at her parents expectantly while sometimes vocalizing. You can without doubt sign to a baby before he or she starts to use gestures and to point but these gestures are a good sign that babies are ready to express themselves through sign. A baby will understand what you sign to them before baby starts to gesture, point and to use signs. Understanding a new language always comes before being able to expressively use that language.
Babies want to interact, communicate and share with you. At around 9-12 months of age, this ability to share attention with you: looking at an object and then look at a person expectantly, as if to say “Look at that thing! Isn’t it wonderful!” called Joint Attention develops. Joint Attention is considered one of the crucial building blocks of communication and language development.
In her book, It Takes Two to Talk, Ayala Manolson, gives the suggestion “allow your child to lead” as a strategy to encourage language development. Ayala explains that parents and caregivers, in a way, need to say less and observe more when interacting with their children. Parents need to be “willing to allow their children to lead so they have the chance to express their feelings, needs and interests”.
When your little one does try to share your attention, follow Ayala’s advice and allow your child to lead your interactions. When your little one points at bird on the window sill and then looks at you expectantly she may be trying to share your attention about that object. As best you can, when you little one points at something and looks at you expectantly, stop what you are doing and look at what she’s pointing to. Give her the verbal word and the ASL sign for the object that she’s interested in. This object is something she wants to communicate about! Let her know that you recognize her interest and label the item for her.
I can remember a time when my own daughter was about 13 months old. She has been signing since she was 11 months old and had about 5-6 signs. One of her favourite signs (and play objects) was BALL. One day she pointed to an orange on the counter and signed BALL. I followed her lead and picked up the orange and showed her the sign for ORANGE. She looked at me like I was crazy and signed BALL back to me! I quickly peeled and cut up the orange into little pieces, gave her a piece and signed ORANGE. This was her first bite of orange and she loved it! I must have given her 30 little bits of this new fruit and signed ORANGE each time. Towards the end of the orange she was signing ORANGE back to me to request another piece of her new favourite thing to eat!
Use these tips below to follow your baby’s lead and to share her attention:
All your baby to lead your conversations based on her interests and where her focus currently is
Share your baby’s attention: if she’s pointing to something acknowledge what’s she’s pointing to and show her the sign for the object.
Use nonverbal cues such as expectant looks, smiles and signs to let her know you are listening to her coos, babbles, signs and words.
This lovely recipe comes from Caprial and John's Kitchen, and where I got my recipe for coconut sorbet! Be sure to read the entire recipe before starting. If you just want to enjoy the sorbet - you won't be disappointed. It's wonderful with fresh fruit or chocolate!
Caprial and John put their stamp on a dinner finale that will encourage your guests to save room for dessert. The perfect combination of spices, toasted coconut and creamy sorbet assembled into a sandwich will be a hit with both young and old.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a sheet pan well; set aside.
Pipe the cookie dough into about sixteen 3-inch circles, and cookies until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack or paper towels and let cool completely.
To form the sandwiches, place a large scoop of sorbet on the bottom side of a cooled cookie, top with another cookie, and then roll the exposed sorbet in the coconut. Wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. Continue with the remaining cookies and sorbet. Freeze the sandwiches for at least 1 hour before serving.
Spiced Almond Sticks - (the cookie part)
Makes about 24 cookies (if piped into sticks, less if done in circles for ice cream sandwiches)
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a sheet pan well and set aside.
Place the cream cheese, butter, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs and beat well. Add the almond extract, flour, spices, and salt, and mix on low speed until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (make sure it is wide enough that the almonds won't get stuck in the tip).
On the prepared pan, pipe the dough into about sixteen 3-inch circles. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack or paper towels and let cool completely. SEE SPICE ICE CREAM SANDWICH RECIPE FOR CONSTRUCTION INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE.
Coconut Sorbet
Makes about 1 quart
4 cups coconut milk (this is not the sweetened coco-loco for pina coladas - try to find GOYA brand of Leche de Coca - coconut milk, or check out the Asian aisle at the grocers)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Place the coconut milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream and mix well. Refrigerate until it cools to at least 40°, about 2 hours.
To freeze the sorbet, follow the manufacturer's directions for your ice cream maker. Transfer the sorbet to a covered container and place in the freezer until completely frozen.
Yeah, I told Chad I wanted a boob job. He tossed me a roll of duct tape. 
I'm low on tie-dye undies though. Come to think of it I'm low on undies. Who need undies anyway? Wheeeee!!!!
With the cost of medical care rising every year, it pays to know how the local environment, including your own home, is affecting your family’s health.
