Kodak Moments

I was just thinking about what we used to call "Kodak Moments". I haven't heard the term in a while, but have been witness to a few things that just made me smile (and wish I had my camera to capture the moment, because each of them was only a moment!)

1) Driving by our neighbors and seeing a raccoon on his hind legs eating out of their hanging bird feeder late one night, his fat behind just hanging there. Greg witnessed this thief a few more times on his way to work, and we're hoping that the home owner will be in the yard some time so we can tell them who is eating all their food!

2) A elderly man flirting with an elderly woman in front of me in line at a coffee shop. I loved the smiles on their faces and it was reinforced that it isn't age, hair, clothes or beauty that attract us to each other. It's paying attention and smiling. Anyone looks good when they do that!

3) A young man I drove by who was imitating someone (it appeared) and was telling a "whopper" to a couple of young girls who were completely laughing their heads off at him. He was also flexing his biceps for extra effect, and the girls were loving it. Totally made my day to see how much fun they were having.

4) This last one happened a while back, and although it wasn't a laughing incident, it made me smile and was heartwarming. I was driving down our hill (3 miles) into town, and was just thinking about all the things I love about Kalama, our little town. I turned the corner past the school, and there was this elderly lady out walking her dog, and when she came to the storm drain, she reached into it with her grab-nabber (which I'm guessing was for picking up after her dog), cleared out all the dead leaves, and kept walking. It made me love Kalama even more, and reminded me that it takes all of us to do our part to keep our towns looking good.

I hope to get more pictures on my blogs again someday. We got a new computer, and although I've figured out how to download them onto the computer, I can't seem to get them onto my blog. I'll have to update a bunch when I finally get around to figuring it out.

The Demise of the Honeybees

This topic has come up many times in the past year, so I'll just share in a nutshell what I've learned. The "mysterious" demise of honeybees seems to be of concern, since we rely on them for so many things. There are so many plants that rely on bee pollination, and so not only will we not have enough honey to go around (that in itself is bad enough for me!), but most plants and flowers rely on bee pollination to reproduce.

First, there was an article in the Mother Earth News, wondering what is causing it.
(http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/Colony-Collapse-Pesticides-Bees.aspx)
They elude to pesticides (bug killers), herbicides (weed killers) and even cell phone use (the waves in the air mess up the bees navigation) and many other causes that we've heard about perhaps.

The answer that I have received (which also makes the most sense to me, although the other answers likely contribute to the problem as well) is from my cousin T's husband W, who is a beekeeper in Austria. He is not just "a beekeeper". He has the largest bee farm in Austria, and is the head of the European Union of Beekeepers. I figure he probably knows what he's talking about.

He says that the bees are dying because of all the genetically engineered crops in the US. In Austria they don't allow any genetically modified crops (and have to pay a tariff to Europe because of this), but they also are one of the few industrialized countries that don't have the bee demise problem.

The genetically altered crops don't provide the bees with the proper nutrition, leaving them weak and susceptible to disease, mites, and other things that kill them. The government denies this, because that would mean subsidies would change, and they would lose profits. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U.S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U.S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. From a US statistics via http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

What does this mean for us, the consumer? Don't buy anything genetically modified. Research your food sources. One company that I love that does not buy any grains that are altered is Bob's Red Mill. Support local companies that promote healthy farming practices. Organic is better, because then you aren't supporting the use of pesticides, herbicides or growth hormones (more in animal products). Yes, I know it costs more. Lots more. But, the only way to get the price lower, is to demand that grocers carry organic, and give them your support. One site I read said that if we all didn't buy one new electronic gadget per year, we could afford to buy organic food for our families. Probably true.

Some of you may have watched the movie Food, Inc. I have not seen it myself, but have read reviews, and heard about it from my chiropractor as well as friends. This may help get the word out of how important it is for the health of our country to make healthy choices available (rather than lining the coffers of a few select companies, of which profit is the main goal)
http://www.foodincmovie.com/

So, that's all for today. While I'm writing this, my boys are listening to an audiobook on the saguaro cactus called the Cactus Cafe, and it just got done saying how the bees pollinate the saguaro fruit, to produce new cactus. "and if there are no bees, there are no new cacti" A sad state this world will come to if we (the consumer) don't put our foot down and demand quality over quantity or price.

From the Food, Inc. website, here's what we can do:
Learn more about these issues and how you can take action on Takepart.com

1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.
You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).
2. Eat at home instead of eating out.
Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.
3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.
Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.
4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.
Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.

An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals (milk is one of the highest, so to start buying organic, start with milk. You can't "wash" milk, like you can fruits and veggies).
5. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.
6. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market.
Farmer's markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.
7. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.
The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.
8. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.
9. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.
10. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.

May I caution you in making any of these transitions in your daily life. Only tackle one item at a time, and don't try something new until you've mastered the previous change. With any lifestyle changes, a slow transition makes everyone happier. Try a new recipe or two, but don't feel overwhelmed to change everything all at once. Then it'll end up fad-ish, and likely not last (just like a fad diet or exercise plan). Take it slow, and change your whole way of thinking slowly over time.

New Blog

I've been wanting to start a new blog for some time now, that focuses on our homeschooling journey. Since there are many topics you may not be interested in, I decided to do a complete separate blog. I finally got it started, and hope to update it weekly with our progress. It'll be mainly a journal for me, but it may be of interest to others. I also wanted it to be online, so that I can refer other homeschoolers to information that I've found, book reviews, as well as successes and challenges along the way. The link is on my favorites list, but here's the link here as well.

http://nurtureandadmonition.blogspot.com/

Hope you can join us on this new many-years-long adventure~!!

Prediction Accomplished

Before our eldest child was born, Greg's brother and mom started this running joke on what type of child "he" would be. They predicted a boy, who would have a British accent (I'm still not sure why he would end up with that, but it made it all the funnier) and would say things like, "Father, do we have enough petrol?" and such.

Well, low and behold, we have a son. And while this very Grandma was visiting one time, he says, "Dad, do we need any gas?" as we were passing by a gas station. Close enough. No British accent, but the American version basically said the same thing. That made Grandma laugh pretty hard.

Now, here he is making things come true again. The other day he says to me when we got home from church, "Mom, would it be all right if I stayed outside and got a bit of fresh air and exercise?" Put a British accent on it, (and change Mom to 'Mum' or 'Muth-uh' and it's perfect for the stereotype). I mean, what 4 (almost 5) year old worries about getting enough fresh air and exercise, except maybe kids in "The Secret Garden" or books like that.

He does make me laugh though. He's such a sweetheart, and I'll write more about him next week, since he'll be turning the big #5.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again ...

If my challenge this past winter has been cornbread (I've finally succeeded); my challenge last winter was yogurt. I wanted to make my own homemade, but it had to meet certain specifications. It had to be good! It had to be thick enough. It had to not require me to buy any more kitchen gadgets that I don't have room for.

Well, as you can see, the last one didn't hold true. I tried many methods of getting it to stay warm enough, without being too warm, and finally my mother-in-law and aunt took pity on me and gave me their old yogurt makers (from the 70's perhaps?). I can finally make yummy yogurt. (thank you S and Aunt B)

So, if you want to try your own, here's the successful version: (for these 2 makers)

Homemade Yogurt
-2 quarts of milk (we use whole or 2% usually)
-1/2 c. dry milk powder (I tried many variations without, and it was always too runny, so just use it!)
-1/2 c. plain yogurt for a start or Yogourmet start (can buy at health store usually)
Heat the milk in a pan and bring to scalding (about 180*F with candy thermometer or until it gets a skin on it, or until it starts foaming. Watch it, because when it foams, it foams!). Cool to 112-115*F (or lukewarm and you can hold your finger in it). To cool it quickly, put cold water in your sink or a shallow pan, and put the kettle in it. When cool, mix about 1/2 c. milk into the start and then pour the mixture back into the warm milk. Mix thoroughly but gently and pour into makers. Leave overnight or 6-8 hours, depending on how thick you want it.

I've been flavoring mine vanilla, so make a syrup with:
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, add vanilla. Add to warm milk right before putting in the yogurt maker. You may want to leave one plain cup to use for the start next time, but I usually forget, so it all gets vanilla flavor. (adjust vanilla and sugar to your taste, 1/2 c. sugar in 1/2 c. water works fine too)

Other methods you can try to incubate (which I wasn't very successful at, but you may be)
-Heating pad on low with a towel to cover. Put yogurt in a mason jar, set onto towel, and put a big kettle upside down over top to hold in the heat. The new heating pads shut off after 2-4 hours, so you may have to check to make sure the heat stays on (this does work, and was my most successful non-yogurt-maker method)
-Turn a slow cooker on warm with warm water in the bottom. When it's warm, turn off and just turn back on for 15 min every so often to maintain temp. (I found it too hard to be consistent turning the heat on and off. Even on warm, the milk will curdle if it gets too hot)
-In the oven next to the oven light (turned on of course) or pilot light
-In a cooler wrapped in a towel and other jars of hot water around it to keep the heat in for extended time
-In a warm windowsill. You want the temperature about 70-80*F
-Over the register on a cold night (this works well if your furnace kicks in alot, but on warmer nights, not so well)
-By the wood stove where it will stay toasty (but our fire goes out in the night, so it hasn't been successful either)
-Find a yogurt maker...that makes it much more foolproof.

That first winter I was experimenting, I made a lot of watery yogurt. Greg would take it to work to eat (or more often, drink) anyways, and told the guys there that his wife was "culturally challenged". Thankfully I've been able to finally make some good stuff. If you do make a flop, it's great to use instead of milk in pancakes or baking (like buttermilk). Don't throw it out!

The Final Episode - Which Bible?

This is the last section I wanted to write (for now) that comes to mind about our spiritual walk. And the topic is Bibles. Which Bible should we use, and does it matter? I was waiting to get a book from my mom so that I could quote directly out of it, instead of paraphrasing what I remembered. I gave my original copy to Greg's Papa when we were in AZ, so finally got my new one, so here goes.

The book is called On A New Foundation? and is written by Pat Ammeter. Pat is a friend of my mom (in Sylvan Lake, AB), and has written this book to expose what she has learned through years of research on false teachings, and spiritual fallacies. She herself was immersed in a very charismatic church from childhood, and whenever she questioned a "spiritual experience" of someone, was shunned as she was taught that questioning spirituality was wrong. The problem came when these spiritual experiences didn't line up with Scripture. We are to test all the spirits, by the Bible, thus leading her to examine the Bibles she was using. At the time, she was her church's librarian, and made it her pride and joy to have one of EVERY version of Bible, on her library's shelves. She now repents of that, and shares what she has learned in the process. She cited at least 20 books on Bible version history and defenses, and has researched this topic thoroughly. I like her book too, because it is written easily for the lay person to understand.

I won't go into the history of each version as she describes them, but the conclusion she came to is that the King James Version is the ONLY reliable source. All the other versions were taken either from corrupted manuscripts or the publishers had corrupt means for publishing, or both (making money!!). Which is why all versions, except the KJV are copyrighted, and the publishers receive royalties for each sale (so when sales drop, they need to 'revise' the version to update and then everyone will buy more to increase sales again). I will quote her chapter 24 in almost entirety, since it sums up what the many chapters talk about. It's rather lengthy, but worthy of your time to read. Pat is a stickler for truth, and isn't afraid of people not liking her (the fear many have for remaining true). I'll first quote the end of the chapter, in which Pat quotes one of her references:

In the closing chapter of his book, The King James Version Defended, Edward F. Hills pens this solemn warning:

"In regard to Bible versions many contemporary Christians are behaving like spoiled and rebellious children. They want a Bible version that pleases them no matter whether it pleases God or not. "We want a Bible version in our own idiom," they clamor. "We want a Bible that talks to us in the same way in which we talk to our friends over the telephone. We want an informal God, no better educated than ourselves, with a limited vocabulary and a taste for modern slang." And having thus registered their preference, they go their several ways. Some of them unite with the modernists in using the RSV or the NEB. Others deem the NASV or the NIV more "evangelical". Still others opt for the TEV or the Living Bible.

But, God is bigger than you, dear friend, and the Bible version which you use is not a matter for you to decide according to your whims and prejudices. It has already been decided for you by the workings of God's special providence. If you ignore this providence and choose to adopt one of the modern versions, you will be taking the first step in the logic of unbelief. For the arguments which you must use to justify your choice are the same arguments which unbelievers use to justify theirs, the same method. If you adopt one of these modern versions, you must adopt the naturalistic New Testament textual criticism upon which it rests...In other words, naturalistic textual criticism regards the special, providential preservation of the Scriptures as of no importance for the study of the New Testament text. But if we concede this, then it follows that the infallible inspiration of the Scriptures is likewise unimportant. For why is it important that God should infallibly inspire the Scriptures, if it is not important that He should preserve them by His special providence.

Where, oh where, dear brother or sister, did you ever get the idea that it is up to you to decide which Bible version you will receive as God's holy Word? As long as you harbor this false notion, you are little better than an unbeliever. As long as you cherish this erroneous opinion, you are entirely on your own. For you the Bible has no real authority, only what your rebellious reasons deigns to give it! For you there is no comfort, no assurance of faith. Cast off, therefore, this carnal mind that leads to death! Put on the spiritual mind that leads to life and peace. Receive by faith the True Text of God's Holy Word, which has be preserved down through the ages by His special providence and now is found in the Masoretic Hebrew text, the Greek Texus Receptus, and the King James Version and other faithful translations."

Now, to her portion of the chapter (some paragraphs excluded just for space constraints)
Chapter 24
Back to My Old King James Bible

"The evidence tells me it's time to take my King James Bible out again, if I can find it. Yes, I have found it and dusted it off. Actually, I almost gave it away. To my surprise, many others are doing the same thing. Many people are tired of the confusion and aren't happy with the new versions. They are checking it out for themselves, comparing the different Bibles and deciding that they have to go back to the King James, the most popular Book ever published.

Was my problem with the KJV itself or was it my ignorance of the Bible? Or maybe I just read the Bible without thinking. No one will argue that there are some Bible passages which are difficult to understand. It's not always so simple; it can be tough reading even in the modern versions.

Just for the sake of argument, let's view this as if we are on the liberal side of the debate and are in favor of the modern versions. Those modern Bibles are from different manuscripts and interpretations. They know they are. If they know the Bibles have changed and also express some of the Gnostic views with which they seem to agree, then why do we continue to defend these Bibles as though they have not been changed?

No one will argue that the KJV has the odd word with which we aren't too familiar. Maybe the "eth" could be removed from the end of words, or the odd word changed that has some weird spelling, as it wouldn't change the meaning. Some versions of the KJV have a little dictionary of those words either alongside the word or at the back of the Bible. You can get little dictionaries just for the KJV. These few old words don't interfere in any way with understanding the teachings of Scripture. There is nothing wrong with researching word as they are found throughout the Bible in order to find a fuller meaning for a deeper study. It's done all the time. It doesn't change the meaning.

Salvation, in the KJV, is very clear to a child. We, who live in the western world, boast of being so enlightened but we can't understand the KJV. If children can understand what they need to, why can't the adults? We will never understand the mystery of salvation but we certainly know the Way.

The Bible is being "dumbed down" in these new versions to keep pace with our everyday language. When educators in our country are concerned about what is happening to our language, shouldn't the translators of the Word of God be concerned as well? The language in these new versions is way down on the scale as far as a school grade level. They start at about grade 3 to grade 8, the highest being the KJV. Most people have more than a grade 8 education.

In our microwave society and easy-chair lifestyle which we all love, we would rather be entertained in church than really get to know the Word of God. We tend to need a book which someone wrote to help us do our studying. We don't even think about checking into the belief system of the author. In this day and age we live in, it's a must! If a book is at the top of the best sellers list, written by a popular preacher or just sounds good, that is generally good enough. Often the author isn't even a born-again Christian but we study their work anyway.

Yes, I even put New Age books in the church library not knowing what they were, for example, the Chicken Soup series. We might not be so eager to read or promote the author's books if we did research into his beliefs. Could we discern the error? We have been so influenced by the wisdom of this world that we don't stop to think if it lines up with the Word of God or not. I know; I've been there. We are much more acquainted with what we are taught, and that may not be truth.

The defenders of the new modern versions do not seem to have a problem with how much is distorted or missing in these new Bibles. They believe the 'red line' which means that Christ still remains in these Bibles from Genesis to Revelations even if the Bibles are somewhat corrupted. These people also do not mind attending a church which has false teachings; they say "I can worship God anywhere."

My question to these people would be, "with which image of Christ will you end up with?" Is Christ deity or is He just a good teacher?"

She also goes into the importance of memorizing Scripture and ingraining it in our hearts. If you'd like to read this book, you can contact me to get a copy (or read my copy when I'm done rereading it). It is very convicting, but also very liberating.

Boring is blissful

Parenting seems to be full of mundane-ness, but also full of surprises. A friend noted that we need to be thankful for the boring days, because some parents are wishing their lives were more boring (a child in the hospital, a child in the military overseas and in harms way, and so many other things that are unpredictable). One thing that is predictable but unpredictable in this house is a 1 year old that has just learned to walk. Elise has been loving exploring, and yesterday was found with a whisk, stirring in the toilet. Not an hour later, her brother was going to the bathroom, and she followed him in there and threw a toy airplane in the toilet. Now this morning she has unwrapped a whole roll of toilet paper, twice. We try to keep close tabs on her, but she is so busy wandering from room to room, that sometimes I forget to watch her. I can't shut the bathroom door since James can't reach it if he needs in there (I suppose I could have him have Luke open it for him), so will just have to be firm in teaching her where she can play, and where she can't. She also loves to get up on the boys stools (at the sink) and throw things in the sink (usually something metal and clangy).

James has been recovering from a crash last week he had with a deck corner post. It left a nasty scrape and bruise on his face, but he has been tough. He bounced back and was outside playing again right after. My mom has a theory to "put a cold wet washcloth" on the point of injury, and that cures things amazingly well. I didn't believe her at first, but after watching her miraculously "heal" a wide range of injuries this way, I'm sold. The washcloth comes out, and works it's magic, and the kid is back playing in no time.

James was the hero the other day when Greg offhandedly remarked "well, I should go get those chickens back in soon" to me. James donned his boots, ran outside, rounded up all 10 chickens (no easy task in itself as the ones you caught usually get away when you go to get more) and came in the house to ask "can someone help me shut the chicken pen?" He did a great job, all by himself.

Luke has been using his imagination and making all kinds of animals out of Legos lately. Yesterday we got a giraffe (with 18 inch neck) and a chicken. The boys love their chickens, and collect the eggs faithfully every day, as well as feeding them scraps, making sure they have water, and letting them out and putting them away once they've been out in the yard. He also loves to draw, and today it was numerous pictures of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Sinai (right next to each other) erupting with "ash and smoke everywhere".

The kids also love pushing the two couches together and making a boat out of them. They also pretend it's a bus, a covered wagon, a ferry, etc. Elise loves it when they take the cushions off the couch and play either polar bears, tigers or wolves; because then she can climb up on the couch (when she otherwise can't). She has no idea of danger or falling though, so has to be watched rather carefully.

I, in the meantime, try to get my mundane daily chores done, read them some books here and there every day, and answer their many questions. It's such a great job being their Mom, and oftentimes I take it for granted that they'll always be as cute and random as they are now. They do tend to frustrate me a lot with their childishness (spilling milk, making messes in the sink, etc), but I do love their hugs and kisses and "I wuv you, Mom" that they so often give.

So that's what's new (0r not new, but pleasantly mundane) in our house.

Heal a Leaky Gut (and how to know if you have one)

There seems to be so many people these days who have either allergies (food or airborne), autoimmune diseases, digestion problems, attention problems or mental illness that it is devastating. The medical profession recognizes the problem, but rarely offers any permanent solutions (or fixable things), just medications to mask the symptoms. There seems to be hundreds of natural remedies that it can be overwhelming, plus tons of theories of what is wrong. I've done alot of reading to help me understand the problems, and am posting a link to an article that sums up what I've concluded from different sources. It explains what a "leaky gut" is, and how to fix it. You won't get overnight results, since this has been years in the making (even since childhood in many cases). But once a leaky gut is healed, then purging out toxins can begin. Often leaky gut is only really pursued in autism cases, but it is the root cause to so many other diseases. Here it is:

http://www.betternutrition.com/supplements/howto/852

In Search of the Perfect Jeans

Probably one of the things most women (and maybe men too), hate the most, is shopping for jeans. You wouldn't think it would be that treacherous, but finding that perfect pair that makes you look good, feel good and don't cost a boatload is sometimes quite daunting.

I had the misfortune this spring of two pairs wearing out in the same week. This was devastating, since my one pair had been a favorite that I had had since before I was married. If I had known this would happen, I would have gone shopping for some new ones while we were in Canada, since that is where I got them. I do have a second pair (the same) that I love, but it just wasn't enough to last until laundry day. So, I embarked on the challenge...

Before embarking, I talked to my sister about it, who is equally as unimpressed with jeans shopping. She recalled to me a story about a hair products salesman who tried to talk her (and her employees) into buying (and selling) his haircare products. He said to them, "you know how a woman will spend any amount of money once they find the perfect pair of jeans, well, that's what you have to convince clients with these products!" My sister A noted that he wouldn't look her in the eye as he went on this schpeil, because he knew how frugal she was, and that she wouldn't fall for that line. But all the employees did. They all agreed, that they would pay any amount of money, if the jeans did what they wanted them to do. Sad....

With that in mind, I took my kids and went shopping. I always follow the Tightwad Gazette lady's advice and start shopping at the cheapest place first. Finding jeans at garage sales is difficult because you rarely can try them on. So, I went to the dreaded Walmart. I tried on several pairs, and amazingly found a pair that was perfect. And yes, under $20! Even better. I bought them immediately, but didn't end there. I was out of time for the day, but the next time I was in town, I went to the Goodwill. I rounded up several pairs that met my criteria, and started trying them on. I found 3 pairs that fit to my standards, and ended up buying 2 (for under $10 total) and have been extremely satisfied with them. So, I returned the unworn Walmart pair, and went on my merry way. Wow! That was not near as painful as I recall. I might even try it again sometime, before a critical moment like the last time when I'm down to one lonely pair!

Here's what I was looking for (decide your own criteria, so you know what to weed out before hand):
-not too low or too high waist
-boot cut (I'm old enough to have worn skinny jeans in grade 5, and have no plans on wearing them ever again. Hated the feel of them then, and can't imagine them any better now)
-long enough (one of my friends has a gauge she uses that works well-if you hold the jeans up to your waist, and the bottom covers your foot, they'll be long enough...so far that has held true)
-the right wash/color (I'm pretty traditional, so am not wanting anything too trendy or flashy
-price (under $20 to me is a good deal, I have paid more, but would rather not)
-back pockets in the right places (for me, Levi's have the pockets in the wrong place, makes my butt look huge...which is definitely not something I want to accent...smaller would be better!)
-feminine cut (not too boyish)

Also from the Tightwad lady, if you want your stretch jeans to last longer, wash them on cold and don't put them in the dryer. The heat breaks down the spandex and then they are useless. Toss them on airdry a bit if you don't like stiff jeans. I happen to love stiff jeans, so it's a match made in heaven. And from another friend, "if you find a pair you love, buy 2 pairs, even 3...you'll not regret it, but you will regret not buying them!"

Hope your Monday is going well...and good luck on your next jeans venture.

I subscribe to a newsletter from Babyworks, which is a cloth diapering company here in Portland. I love their stuff, and try to use it when I can. They had this article in their latest newsletter, a reminder for us moms to do what we can. We likely can't do all listed here, but every little bit helps cut down waste which cuts down costs (the bottom line for most families).

Earth Day 2010

"The 40th anniversary of Earth Day came and went with little talk about the environmental considerations of cloth vs. disposable diapers. I hope to put more effort into bringing this issue to light for the next one! Each one of you using cloth diapers for 2 years or more is keeping one ton of solid waste out of our landfills.

Earth Day is a good time to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful planet on which we live. It's also an opportunity to look at our lifestyle choices to see if there are ways, step by step, we can tread more lightly on the planet's resources in all facets of our lives. The days of fanaticism are gone, for most; many of us use disposable and less desirable products from time to time. It's about doing the "best we can," "most of the time," and working towards better alternatives, bit by bit. After all, every single thing we do has an impact on the environment. Collectively, we can have a great impact.

10 simple ways to be kinder to the Earth (one is free!):

Buying quality, reusable products not only helps the solid waste situation, it tends to save you money over the long run. Patronizing small, conscientious companies supports a more sustainable way of doing business.

Here 9 categories of products Babyworks sells that are sound environmental choices, beyond the obvious cloth diapers (plus, one bonus category, that you have to provide!) These are also safe and healthy choices for your baby:

1) Organic Baby Clothing - No chemicals used in the growing of the cotton, no chemical residue on your baby's clothing.
2) Natural Skin Care Products - Made by small and caring companies, these products contain understandable ingredients and safe, simple formulas.
3) Natural Cleaning and Laundering Products - non-polluting formulas are much gentler on the earth and work just as well as the conventional counterparts. And bulk sizes, if practical, are the most environmentally sound choice of all...reducing number of packages purchased and trips to the store. (may I add less allergies)
4) Reusable Wet Bags - instead of plastic bags for carrying your diapers.
5) Reusable Baby Wipes - rather than chemical-containing disposable wipes sold in plastic tubs.
5) Natural and Organic Baby Toys - safe for baby to hold and chew on, and made by small companies, without "don't ask don't tell" manufacturing practices.
6) Wool Puddle Pads, processed without chemicals, instead of plastic or vinyl mattress protectors.
7) Reusable Training and Night Pants - rather than the throwaway versions that are SO expensive!
8) Reusable Swim Diapers - rather than disposable swimwear.
9) Make Your Own Baby Food - to reduce consumption of store-bought baby foods. Much cheaper, and your baby will get to enjoy the foods that you enjoy!
10) And the best, most sustainable tip of all: Always give your baby more "Love" than "Stuff." :-)

And do remember to expose your kids to nature! A connection to the outdoors is so needed to balance things out in an era of too much electronic entertainment and overstimulation, and to foster a lifelong joy of nature and respect towards it. Easier to love trees when you spend time amongst them!"

http://babyworks.com/

I will also add, that the best way to reduce costs and waste is to buy used. This reduces out-of-pocket money, but also reduces packaging (how much of our garbage is packaging from this or that?) I've made it my goal to reduce packaging wherever I can. Our garbage went from one can full every week (bursting) to now 1 can 2/3 full every two weeks. Our grocery store has a huge bulk section that I use regularly, and then recycle/reuse the bags so that also helps, as well as buying raw items rather than anything prepackaged. Food scraps can become compost for plants, or get a dog (they help immensely, although our chickens get most of our food scraps). We also burn all our paper, but most places it can be recycled. There's my schpeil for 'Earth Day'.

Vacation

One of the best things in life is vacation. I was just looking at my sister-in-laws pictures of their recent vacation, and was reminded again how much I just love them (as I'm sure everyone does). Recently I was sorting some papers, and came across old work schedules. They indicated that I would work 50-60 hrs a week, and then take a week off, every month. I had forgotten that I did that, but do recall being able to take more vacations than most of my friends. I had the benefit of always having 2 jobs (one was just too boring), thus could work this many hours easier. I didn't make overtime working like that, but the joy of just taking off to go wherever was thrilling. I usually found one or two friends to go with me, and we'd just hit the road for a few days. I also took 2 months off one time to go to Alaska and back, get my wisdom teeth pulled, and then head out to Michigan for our church convention and then drove back to Oregon to finish off the trip. That was so much fun. Even all that driving by myself was most enjoyable, because of the freedom that went with it. I did have passengers for some portions of the trip, but the majority was solo.

So, now I'm looking at this summer and seeing where we can go, and what we can do. The options have changed now with kids, but there are still just as many available. We'll likely stay closer to home, since we've already made a Canada and Arizona trip this year. Hopefully we'll get our camper all decked out (a few more things are needed to make it totally usable) so we can take that wherever we go.

I guess what I love most (now, as opposed to when I was single) about vacations is the family time. The working together to make any decisions (where should we eat in this new town?) and to solve any problems that may arise. The many hours of visiting in the car together, with the same goals in mind. It realigns us as a family, if we've been going in different directions (which hasn't happened too much yet, since our kids are pretty small, but I can see it more as they get older with different interests). It resets our priorities (family time above all, and enjoying our children) and makes us just happy all over!!

Mr. James Wallace turns 3

I don't like 3rd birthdays. It's like one big bonk on a Mommy's head that my baby is no longer a baby. When they turn 2, it's okay, because they aren't talking much yet, they still need naps, they aren't potty trained...the list goes on. But at 3, they are just big. They are too busy to cuddle much (although James did learn how to ask for that, so he will say, "I need some cudd-o time" in this pathetic forlorn sounding voice lately, but I don't mind at all!)

Anyways, our little James is now 3. He's been waiting many months for it, but now is hesitating, as he doesn't quite believe his good fortune. But, as you can see, he's quite pleased with his birthday cake, and I'm grateful for a digital camera so that I can capture his true personality without guilt.














As for what he likes...he likes things the same. He's known to say "I want to go home" quite regularly, and can't handle change very well. Last week he got new shoes and had to move to a bigger carseat, and was none too pleased. We've tried to make the transitions smoother, but he still bawks at any changes that he can't figure out. The other day I drove our "little grey car" and I guess he just kept saying the whole way home with Greg in the van "Mom's driving the little grey car, No way!" He says "no way" alot not in a disobedient way, but a "I can't believe it" way along with "what the wip (rip)?" I just put the boys to bed, and forgot to sing Luke's song, and that didn't go forgotten by James (Luke forgot). James picked the same song every night for 1 1/2 years (Behold, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, knock, knock...) and has just switched to The B-I-B-L-E, and sounds super cute when he sings it. Luke now requests Behold because he knows that it's James' favorite!














Most of you probably remember the tears we've cried over this little boy. He cried and itched and thus didn't sleep (and neither did we) the first 18 months of his life from eczema and food allergies, and we are so thankful he is almost cured. I think he'll struggle with it most of his life, but thankfully we have found resources to keep it at bay. We've learned what makes it worse, and what makes it better. He just had a treatment on Monday, and he is back to his singing self. He was singing "don't cry in a manger" all day yesterday (to baby Jesus), and loves to spell out his name to different tunes. He still seems to catch every bug that comes along, but hopefully as he gets bigger his immunity will get stronger. It makes my heart rejoice every time I hear him laugh or sing, because of all the crying he did as a baby.

He says his 's's as 'h's, so I love listening to that. "Let's hing a hong" or "can you help get my hocks on?" He is always telling Luke when he feels bullied or pushed, "don't push people" or "don't throw things at people", always meaning himself, but uses the term "people". He loves our green truck, and prays for it every night.

Anyways, that's a rundown on our new big boy! We just love him, and he brings so much sunshine to our days! (and he hasn't been a terrible 2er, so we're hoping 3 will be smooth as well!)

P.S. Here's his cake (#2 for me). He wanted a car carrier, but that was a bit too complex for a small round cake (I likely could have done it on a 9x13, but had this one baked before I thought it through). It turned out as I wanted, except the icing did run a bit, as I didn't use any stabilizers in the colors. I am learning lots, and enjoying it too!

Elise Meredith turns 1 today

Today I'll write a tribute to Elise, since it's her special day. It's hard to explain a baby's personality, since it is mostly described by actions and sounds, but I'll try.

This year has flown by. As an older lady at our church says, "the days go slow, but the years fly by!" How true! I guess when each birthday rolls around, it's a big reminder to Dad and Mom that life is definitely going by fast. It's likely because we're so busy in it, that we don't notice, because I know for those who have little to keep them busy, time seems to stand still. If only we could even it out a bit. I do know that when a grandparent holds their grandchild, time speeds up for them, and slows down for the parent. What a blessing that is!

Anyways, Elise is getting to be quite a mischief maker. She loves climbing on stools, and reaching whatever she can grab (usually cups with drinks in them). She loves to be in the bathroom when the boys are, and no good comes of that! She has the sweetest little giggle, which is definitely all girl! So far her interests are pretty generic, although she does love to give hugs and has a big grin on her face all the time now that she can walk all by herself. Her other interests include digging in every cupboard, and opening and closing their doors. The one thing she can't handle is when a door is closed. For some reason she thinks I am behind it (even if I'm just in another room), but she'll cry and cry in front of any closed door. She is trying hard to use a fork or spoon, and gets very frustrated when the utensil is empty when she puts it in her mouth (as the food always falls off!)

This video was taken the other night when James wanted to show Luke how to change Elise's diaper. He had wanted to help me one time, so thought he was the "expert"!

I think age 1 is getting to be a fun age. That first year, babies are so much work, and then with our sleep issues, it has made enjoying the baby stage not so enjoyable. So, I'm glad she's sleeping better (last night 8:30pm-7am, yay!), as that makes me a much nicer person to be around. I've also gotten my own sleep back on schedule, and even though it's pouring rain outside...we're all okay inside (which wasn't the case these past months/weeks).

I'm looking forward to learning more what kind of girl she'll turn out to be, and have been pleasantly surprised that there are many princess-free options for mothers of girls these days (my fear when she was born, if you recall). We've also come up with lots of nicknames for her that don't involve princess/beauty terms as well, which was another fear I had. (so many girls get called names that makes them think they are the center-of-the-universe, and then parents wonder why their attitudes are so unpleasant).

Here's a picture of her as Queen for the day. We have a tradition in our family that the birthday kid wears a crown all day. She didn't keep it on long, but at least for a few minutes. She also wanted to be poking in the icing rather than smiling for the camera, but hey, she's 1!














So, off to decorate James' cake. Wish me luck! (I'll post pics when I get it done!)