Birth Balls... A Comparison

April 2013

18 Months Later

Pumpkin (Spice Latte) Coffee

Like many people, fall makes me happy!  The onset of cooler weather, bringing out the long-sleeved clothing, and shorter days are things that reinvigorate me - and help me get through the post-new-school-books drag that comes with completing the first several weeks of homeschool.

I have a page in my Pinterest list called "If It's Pumpkin, It's Fall."  There I have a number of pumpkin-themed decorative ideas and recipes.  Within that number of recipes are several pumpkin spice latte recipes.  As you know a major latte outlet has taken flack for their "PSL" and the absence of pumpkin in the same.  Well, last time I looked on my little bottle of pumpkin spice, pumpkin wasn't an ingredient!  Nonetheless, my pinned recipes for that special fall-time drink contain pumpkin.

I've tried many of the PSL recipes I've pinned, but none seemed to hit the spot.  So, I decided to try my hand at making a PSL recipe.  Well, I say "PSL," but I think I'd rather call it Pumpkin Coffee.  While I was concocting this gem, one of my children asked, "Mom!  What is that smell?"  I was pleased to exclaim, "Pumpkin!" (rather than any number of unpleasant things I'm usually forced to state in reply).

So, here it is!


Pumpkin Coffee

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (the kind without the extra "stuff" added)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vanilla (yes, 1/2 cup - I know it's a lot, but it's worth it)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
dash ground black pepper (a small dash - too much will overwhelm the overall flavor)

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan.  Heat over medium-low heat until it just starts to bubble, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching - about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add 2 Tbsps to 1/4 cup (depending on your taste preference) to a cup of freshly brewed coffee.  Add additional cream as desired.

Allow the remainder of your pumpkin mix to cool.  Refrigerate up to one week or freeze to use later.  The pumpkin mix does not need to be reheated when used, but it will make for a cooler cup of coffee.

NFP: The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning by Simcha Fisher

NFP works!  "Okay, this woman has five kids," you may say to yourself.  That's true, but I knew when I was going to have them!  I was also able to avoid pregnancy, calculate my fertile days, and determine when I was expecting before taking pregnancy tests!  NFP is amazing!

And so is Simcha Fisher's book, The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning.  Funny, entertaining, and informative.  Good for a rookie to NFP or for the experienced practitioner.

Record Keeping: A Lesson from an Attorney's Perspective

 

Often, as part of my job, I have to collect and go through clients' and opposing parties' documents.  In family law, in the written discovery phase, people often have to produce bank statements, utility bills, pay check stubs, tax returns, and a myriad of other documents - sometimes going back 10 years or more!  I've realized in the past dozen years that few parties to litigation hold on to such records or, if they do, they are produced thrown in a plastic grocery bag or dumped in boxes.  (When I worked as a secretary at a small accounting firm, one client's documents came to me flung in brown papers bags and covers in dried coffee, dog hair, and goodness knows what else.  I became physically ill.)

Now, you may not be going through litigation -  I hope you never do - but there may be other reasons for you to keep your paperwork in good order.  You may be audited by the IRS.  You may have property stolen and need to prove your possessions.  You may will die one day.  The list goes on.  Yes, these are all tragic occurrences, but one thing is clear:  you or your loved ones need to know where to find your stuff!

Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Documents

You need one container for regularly occurring documents such as utility bills, credit card and bank statements, documents needed for your annual income tax returns, monthly loan statements, insurance explanations of benefits, etc.  A great thing to use, if you have the space, is a personal filing cabinet.  With five children ever crowding my areas, I use something a bit more space-efficient.  I use accordion cases with 20 or so subdivided pockets (see picture above).  I keep one for each calendar year.  I usually purchase it in December or early January, label it on the outside with the year, and label the pockets.  Some may file by the month; I choose to file by item category (bank statements, student loan statements, medical records, car insurance, job, etc.).

Annual Documents and Important Papers

I keep important papers in a fire-proof safe.  Another good place to store important documents is in a safe-deposit box.  The types of documents I consider for this category include income tax returns, life insurance policies, wills, birth certificates, Social Security cards, deeds, and titles.  With respect to wills (including a Last Will and Testament, a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, and a Living Will), copies of those documents should be retained by both the testator and any executors, trustees, and/or guardians, along with the Probate Court for safekeeping of your original Last Will and Testament and copies to your medical care providers of the DPAHC and Living Will.

How Long Should You Keep Documents?

I will defer to the IRS website for how long you should keep documents such as tax returns and supporting documents.  (I have retained scanned copies of my tax returns since I began filing taxes when I was a teenager.  Having those documents came in VERY handy when I applied to take my state's bar exam - they ask for EVERYTHING on those applications!)

With regard to utility bills, you really only need to keep those until you receive the next month's bill and can verify that your payment was properly credited from the previous month.  I choose to keep mine a bit longer.

Bank statements should probably be retained for at least 1 to 3 years, if they are not used as supporting documents on your income tax returns.  If you have made large purchases using bank accounts, you should keep those records longer.  Ditto for credit card statements except for any statements showing you have paid off a credit card.  You may want to keep those records indefinitely, or at least long enough to ensure the account is permanently closed and there are no remaining balances and no one else with access to those accounts.

Now, if you are embroiled in litigation and your documents may be or have been requested, heed your attorney's advice!

What's in a Name?

I began homeschooling my children when Casey was 4.  In those early days of homeschooling I worried about so many things.  Am I doing it right?  Am I making a huge mistake?  What if I miss something?  Those were the big questions.

I also struggled with the idea of loss of identity.  When I was in elementary school, we had a school song.  In high school, there was a mascot.  What would my homeschoolers identify with?  I wanted a name for my school so I joined and opened discussions about it on various homeschooling boards.  I found that most people just used their last name paired with School, or more often, Academy.  I didn't want that.  My children have a last name by which they are identified.  "Last Name Academy" wasn't cutting it for me.  So my quest began for a school name.

After thinking, wrangling, researching, and having ideas shot down - by my husband, friends, and online communities - I settled on a name:

Gratia Plena Academia

It was perfect for us.  Do you know what "gratia plena" means?  It means full of grace.  For my non-Catholic friends, it is the beginning of the Hail Mary prayer.  "Ave Maria, gratia plena...." Hail Mary, full of grace!  (When the angel appears to Mary to tell her she will be the mother of Christ, the angel greets her with those words.)

I've always loved the word "grace," the name Grace, the quality of grace.  Being graceful - not being clumsy - is a quality I long to possess.  Being in a state of grace is a place I constantly strive to be.  And what better example of grace and motherhood and as a teacher could I hope to find than Mary?

My school's name is a constant reminder to strive to be so worthy - so full of grace - as to be chosen for amazing things!  My school's name is a prayer for understanding, guidance, and protection.  And the face of my school is the Mother of mothers.  Yes, I chose the right name!

Old Year, New Year

We are coming up on the end of the school year.  At least, it feels that way.  However, if you look at a few of our school books, you might think it's only November.  (Okay, that's an exaggeration, but we are a bit behind where I would like to be.)  I suppose that's normal.  I am homeschooling my children after all - and it's not always in textbooks that I find lessons for my children to learn.  

It's spring and beautiful and I want to do something other than stay inside!  I want to go to the park.  I want to have picnic lunches on a mountain and read about the artists we are studying.  I want to go geocaching.  I want to go camping and teach my daughters to build a fire and have my son show me how to build a shelter with sticks and leaves.  And, sometimes, the schoolbooks are left behind.

So, April is here and time to catch up.  It's time for me to peruse the textbooks and decide what we need to get through and what we can live without.  While I school year-round, there comes a time when I say, " Enough is enough," and I put the old books away.

The only thing that gets me through the stress of the springtime catch-up and the end of another school year is planning for the next year.  I order books.  I excitedly open the boxes when they are delivered.  I proudly show my kids their new books - to which the older kids groan and run away and the younger kids look through the books with me and ask when they can get started.  I plan for the following year.

I plan for the following year meticulously.  I know what I want to teach and when.  I build in holidays and field trips.  I include movies and experiments and projects.  I draft my own music and artist studies.  I create Excel spreadsheets and calendars.  I have my plans spiral bound at the local office supply store.  And by early October of that new school year, my plans are shot because life and fun and adventure happened!  I still have my plan, but it's only a dream by Christmas.

Every time I plan, I always say that next year will be different.  It never is, but I still plan, and we still get behind.  Why?  It is because I homeschool and homeschooling isn't always about the textbooks!

Cubbies, Cubbies, Cubbies

Nothing says simple storage options to me like cubbies.  They're everywhere...in my home, that is!  

These are the cubbies at my front door.  My home doesn't have a mud room and the closets are a bit small, so we keep the kids' coats (and gloves and hats and scarves) in cubbies.  Each of the four older kids have their own cubby.  I have yet to decide where to put the baby's little outdoor duds.  I keep a basket on top for my purse and keys.

 

 Here are the cubbies I use for clean laundry.  Generally, the I wash all of the children's clothes on Monday and they fold and put away their things on Tuesday.  Sometimes, however, some of their things get washed at other times.  To simplify getting stray clothing items to the children, I just put them in their laundry cubbies.  on Tuesdays, when they fold their clothes, they also know to check their laundry cubbies.  Yes, the tiny girl has a laundry cubby (I actually store her bibs there as my laundry area is closer to her high chair than her clothes drawers).

Speaking of the tiny girl, I have cubbies in my bedroom for her diapers and other diaper-changing necessities.  We converted the changing table to a dresser for the big girls years ago, so we just change diapers on our (appropriately covered) bed.

In the kids' rooms, we have... cubbies!  A few years ago, I decided that I was through spending (what seemed like) hours putting little bitty clothes on little bitty hangers.  Ugh!  All the kids' clothes are folded now.  I do hang my girls' church dresses; otherwise, everything is folded.  Not only do I not have to contend with little bitty hangers, but the kids are perfectly capable of folding their own laundry and putting it away.  By the way, the cubbies in the closets are the IKEA Trofast system.

Finally, no homeschooling room would be complete without supplies cubbies.  Here are mine - excuse the mess.  We use our homeschool cubbies a lot!

10 Rules for Homeschooling Correctly

If you're new to homeschooling - or if you're and old hand at it - there are some rules you should know (if you don't know them already).  

1)  Socialize your child.  Obviously, you haven't considered this because you have made the decision to homeschool and, as everyone knows, homeschooled children are unsocialized.  

2)  Lessons and activities are a must!  Since your child is missing out on being socialized through public school, you must accomplish this task with lessons - piano lessons, oboe lessons, guitar lessons, voice lessons, acting lessons - and activities - ballet, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, basket weaving, art classes.  A minimum of five per child is required.

3) Have 15 children.  This will help with the socialization, although it won't be as complete as in public school, but it's a start.  This will also lower the lessons and activities requirement... to four per child.  (I only have five children and I'm 40; I'm failing this requirement, I'm sure.  My homeschooling permit may be revoked.)

4)  The homeschooling mom should wear the uniform.  Uniform?  Yes.  Straight denim skirt, white t-shirt (preferably man's cut, not a cute, fitted cut), white or pastel trimmed ankle-length athletic socks, and white Reeboks (the ones from the 80s are ideal).

5)  The homeschooling children should wear the uniform.  Uniform?  Yes.  Pajamas.

6)  You can't eat unless you practice extreme couponing and/or raise all of your own meat, wheat, and produce.  Everyone who homeschools does either one or both... trust me.  Not only will either activity ensure you, your husband, and your unsocialized 15 children do not starve, but extreme couponing will count as math and growing food will count as science.  

7)  Cancel cable or satellite service.  Television is evil.  No one who homeschools watches television - ever!

8)  Subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, or some service providing hours of watchable education.  Everyone who homeschools watches documentaries - always!

9)  Every trip out of the house is a field trip.  Grocery store... field trip!  Movie theatre... field trip!  Power company to pay the electricity bill... field trip!   And while you're in the car, you have the option of carschooling.  That's homeschool in the car.  More CDs and workbooks, less hovering.  Carschooling counts as homeschool.  Field trips count as homeschool!  All waking hours count as homeschool!  Yay!

10)  All homeschooled children are gifted, so your child must be gifted, too.  That's why you're homeschooling, right?  

Oh!  A bonus requirement:  All homeschoolers must make a chicken mummy.  You have a contractual obligation as a homeschooling parent to make a chicken mummy.  Here's mine (completed in my second year of homeschooling - whew!  I got it out of the way early!):

Goal and Project Planning Worksheet

I've made a new form!  It's a Goal and Project Planning Worksheet (I bet you couldn't have guessed that from the title of this blog entry).

Just some background...

I have a lot of unfinished projects I need to tackle.  Putting them on my To Do List for the past year and a half hasn't worked for me.  I thought if I made a sheet to break down my project/goal, then I might be able to tackle the project with more zeal... or in the least, detail what I want to do and see if I get around to it!

I made the sheet first, then I looked for similar sheets online.  So far, I haven't seen anything like mine.  I hope it works for me.  I hope it may work for you, too!

So, without any further ado... here it is!!!

Goal and Planning Worksheet link.  (For ease of printing, it is black & white, but I used a pretty font!)

Christmas Isn't Over!

I want to scream it!  CHRISTMAS ISN'T OVER!!!  I don't.  I remain calm and know that my tree will stay up until Epiphany.  

A decorated tree clutters my living room.  My life feels a little out of whack.  The manger scene is taking up valuable space and the Christmas lights are starting to get on my nerves.  I would like to "get my house back" but it is still Christmas.  Not to mention, I have several children who will already be heartbroken on January 6th ... or 7th, 8th, 9th... when I finally take down the decorations.

So, my decorations remain - and I'm making the effort to make sure the Christmas spirit remains for a little while longer, too.  It is, after all, still Christmas!

You see, Christmas BEGINS on December 25th (or if you want to fudge a little, Christmas Eve).  In my home, on Christmas Eve, the Advent decorations are joined by the Christmas decorations - the tree goes up, the decorations come out of their boxes, and the lights are hung.  "Advent?" you may ask.  Yes, the period of time when our hearts are preparing for the birth of Christ.  "But I thought Christmas begins at Thanksgiving - or the day after."  Nope!  That's when everyone thinks - and the retailers want you to believe - Christmas begins, but it doesn't.  I mean, think about the word:  Christmas.  What's the first syllable?  Christ.  And the second syllable?  Mas.  You can't have a mass for Christ without his birth, and that's what Christmas is.  It is a celebration (a Mass) of Christ's birth.  That time after Thanksgiving (roughly speaking) and before Christmas is Advent.  Say it with me...  A d v e n t.  

Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  That day my Advent decorations go up.  There aren't many - an Advent calendar, an Advent wreath with its candles and greenery, the manger...but without baby Jesus (he hasn't been born yet...remember... Christmas?).  That's all.  Compared to my neighbor's homes, it looks like we aren't even celebrating Christmas at that time.  Guess why?  It's because we're not!  We are celebrating... A d v e n t.

It's after Christmas Day now.  No, my tree didn't go down on the 26th, nor will it go down on January 1.  Why?  It is still Christmas then.  

There are Twelve Days of Christmas!  (There's a song about it, you know.)  TWELVE.  After, not before, Christmas!  They begin on December 25, last until Twelfth Night, and then the next day is Epiphany.  (Some celebrate Twelfth Night the night of Epiphany.)  "Wait!  What is this Epiphany stuff?"  Oh, come on!  You know what an epiphany is; it's when you have a sudden realization.  The light comes on.  The shoe drops.  Something finally hits you.  Well, the Wise Men aren't standing at that manger on Christmas Day... or before Christmas Day for that matter.  It takes them a while to make their journeys from their respective realms to witness that the King of Kings has been born.  Once they get to their destination, thanks to the star, they see for themselves that the Son of God has arrived.  While they are bestowing their gifts on the precious babe, internally, they are saying, "A-ha!"  That, my friends, is an epiphany.  January 6th is the day we celebrate the Epiphany - when the world knew that Christ was born.  

On January 6th, we know Christ was born and we can pack away our Christmas niceties.  So, this year, leave your decorations up for just a few more days...keep the Christmas spirit and the joy of Christ's birth in your home for a little while longer.  And next year, wait... revel in the joy of a child who will be born soon.  The anticipation is something wonderful!  

...Besides, you already know it's going to be a boy!

Facebook Privacy Notice - as posted by users

I cannot tell you how many times I've seen people posting messages on Facebook asking me to hover over their name and change the settings in my feed so that the public at large cannot see their posts. If I change the settings so that I cannot see your posts or pictures in my news feed, then why are you bothering to post?  And why am I bothering to be your FB friend?

Recently, I've been seeing posts like this:  "I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future."

Well, guess what?!  You can't do that!  Well, actually, you can, but it doesn't mean anything.  It's not unlike signing a contract to buy a house then writing on a piece of paper (on your own,without the seller's consent or agreement) that the seller is responsible for anything that goes wrong with the house from that date forward.  Contracts don't work that way; neither does Facebook.

In response to seeing all of those posts, I posted this:

To everyone posting these messages that you are letting FB know that they cannot use your profile or anything you post to FB, please know that you cannot presently or retroactively alter your user agreement with FB.  Read the user agreement then decide if you can live with those conditions.  If you do not like the fact your information may become public, then don't use Facebook.

It's easy to find the Facebook User Agreement (you know, the one you haphazardly scrolled passed and checked the box saying you read it before you could have initial access to your account...the one you KNOW you didn't read...Yep, that one!).  On a laptop or desktop computer, scroll to the bottom of a Facebook page and click on the link to Terms.  You'll see something called "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities."  (Interestingly enough, the subtitle to that statement is "Terms you agree to when you use Facebook.")  The same information can be found on mobile versions of Facebook.  Go to the "More" menu and look for "Terms & Policies."  Again, you'll see the Statement.  There is also a Data Use Policy - regarding the information received and how it's used.

Before you post another of those useless messages warning Facebook how they can't use the data you are posting, take a few minutes and read your agreement.  If you can't stomach what Facebook might do with your information, then disable your account.  Thanks! 

[NOTE:  I'm sure that somewhere in that User Agreement, Facebook reserves the right to change the User Agreement; Facebook does change it periodically.  If you have concerns about your information, read the agreement every now and then.]

Pictures

I'm no photographer but I do have a fabulous camera that makes me feel like a photographer!  I also have lovely, willing subjects - and they help make great photos.

I decided to photograph the baby today.  It was such a beautiful, warm fall day.  The sun was shining around cotton ball clouds.  We have plenty of leaves in our front yard.  So, I grabbed my camera and my baby and headed outside.

I have a Nikon D60 SLR.  I have books and have researched online how to take portrait photos with nice bokeh, but I cheated today.  Hey!  I'm just a mom with a camera and few skills - not to mention I'm photographing an almost 6 month old.  So, how did I cheat?  I slapped a telephoto lens on my camera, flipped the settings to Auto (I can almost hear you groaning), and got to it!  These are a few of my favorites.

Oh, yes...  I made some Photoshop touch ups and created a watermark...  MommyLawyer of course!

Another Reason Why I Home School - #2

A few weeks ago, news broke that the Chicago Public School System was mandating sex education in its schools... for KINDERGARTENERS!  The curriculum calls for an average of 30 minutes a month.

The concern is that parents are not teaching the facts of life to their children (to put it mildly).  The problem as I see it is that the nanny state isn't giving parents the chance!  Goodbye innocence!

I'm so glad I can home school - if only so I can introduce sensitive topics at the time I feel my children are ready... and Kindergarten is NOT the time for my kids.

Big Family Road Trips

This past summer provided some opportunities for travel for my family.  Not only did we take several day trips, but we had some overnight adventures as well.  I don't know if all moms of large families are like me, but I feel if I don't plan ahead, something will go drastically, tragically wrong awry. 

One thing I've started doing is packing outfits in individual bags.  I purchased mesh lingerie bags from the D0llar Store - $1 for 3 bags.  I have enough bags to put each outfit for each child in a bag.  I also put each child's pajamas in a bag as well.  When I say outfit, I mean the shirt, pants (or shorts or skirt), underwear, and socks (if needed) in one bag.  One day = one bag with one outfit.  It's just so much easier than having each child pack their own suitcase (with 5 children, we are a bit limited on space) and I can contain all of the clothes and find each child's clothing quickly if we have one large suitcase.

 Another thing I do is pack snack boxes.  I bought subdivided plastic, leak proof, microwavable plastic "lunch" containers for each of the children, me, and my husband.  I can pack sandwiches, fruit, cookies, cheese sticks, pretzels, crackers, hummus, etc.  The containers I have only have two separate compartments, but I can subdivide them further using paper cupcake cups.

Finally, I always, always make a packing/TO DO list.  So far, my lists are handwritten, but as soon as I decide to type one up, I'll post it!

Microwave Popcorn in a Paper Bag! A Recipe.

Let me begin by saying that I loathe microwave popcorn.  The taste.  The smell.  The headache I inevitably get.  The indigestion that follows.

So, imagine my surprise when I learned you can microwave popcorn kernels - get this - in a brown paper bag!  It's true!  It's amazing!  It's headache-free!

Here's what you do:

Put 1/4 cup of  popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag.  Fold the top of the bag over 3 to 4 times, with each fold measuring about 1/2 inch.  Set the bag upright in the microwave.  Microwave on high for 2 to 3 1/2 minutes.  (The first time I tried it, I cooked it for a little over 3 minutes - TOO LONG in my microwave.)  Listen for the popping to slow.  When 2 seconds passes between pops, turn off the microwave.  Be careful opening the bag due to the steam.  Add melted butter or olive oil and salt or other spices to taste.  I added a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and it was divine!

Enjoy!

Another Reason Why I Homeschool

Given things I have been reading in the news of late, I've decided to post (from time to time) reasons why I homeschool. This is the first installment. Recently, a local child - a kindergartener - was dropped off at the wrong bus stop the first day of school. The child was wearing some sort of identification which detailed his (or her, the gender of the child was not disclosed) address and which bus he was to take. However, this information, provided to the child by his school, was WRONG! The child's mother had attended the school's open house the night before and had noted the incorrect information and told a school representative about it. The school representative said it would be taken care of. It wasn't, and this five year old was dropped off in the middle of nowhere. The child was "missing" for some 40 minutes. Fortunately, a kind woman saw him on the side of the road and took him back to the school and into the arms of his frantic mother. Of course, the school system has now implemented a new policy of requiring each child dropped off by the bus to be delivered into the care of an approved adult. According to school officials, this is not a "knee-jerk reaction" to the missing kindergartener episode. RIGHT! I shudder to think of what could have happened to that child, and that is why I homeschool! [NOTE: This is why I homeschool, not why YOU should. These posts are not for debate, but are purely my opinions and why homeschooling is good for my family. TYVM.]

There's Another Person in My House! (Birth Story - and some [not gross] pictures)

I can't believe it!  After the longest pregnancy I've ever had - okay, I found out I was expecting VERY early and I almost went to my due date (just one day shy) - our baby girl was born!  I haven't yet decided what her internet name will be...  hmmm.

We had a wonderful home birth - my second, in fact.  I started timing contractions around 3 a.m. on April 8.  [NOTE:  Yes, it's been almost a month and I'm just now getting around to blogging my birth story.  Cut me a little slack... I have five children now INCLUDING a newborn!]  Until around 7 in the morning, my contractions were 15 minutes apart, but I could tell they were the real thing.  I'd been having the warm-up contractions for a couple of days before, but these were different.  Instead of just squeezing the lower part of my belly, these contractions were radiating from behind - in my behind! - and into my hips and thighs.  For me, THOSE are the real thing!

Around 7 a.m., they started coming a wee bit closer: 10-12 minutes.  My husband wanted me to call my midwife, but I didn't want to bother her just yet given the timing.  (By the way, I used a wonderful FREE app called Contraction Master!)  I did send her a text and we chatted that way for a few minutes.  She told me to keep her updated when things started moving a bit faster.  In the mean time, my husband HAD to go to court.  I told him to go ahead since I felt it might be a while.  In my opinion, I have notoriously long labors, especially considering the number of children I've had; no quick babies for this girl!  Maybe...

My mom came and stayed with me and the children until my husband could return, which he did around 11:30.  Not much had changed, until about an hour later...

Closer contractions, getting more painful...  So I called my midwife.  She and her assistant arrived within 45 minutes.  My mom and husband rounded up the kids and herded them out the door.  I missed kissing and hugging my (then) baby boy, Chaucer.  When my midwife walked into the house, I was sprawled on top of my birthing ball sobbing.  She asked why I was crying and I told her that I didn't get to kiss Chaucer good-bye.  Casey, my oldest, ran outside to get him for me.  He came in, I kissed my baby boy, and he was gone.  My oh-so-wise midwife told me he will look huge when I see him again.  "I know," I sobbed.

I labored on my bed for a while.  My husband kept coming back to tell me everyone was outside.  At one point, he came back and told me how nice it was outside and invited me to join everyone.  So I did!  I rolled my birthing ball and took a blanket outside.  Laboring outside on a warm April day in the South with a cool breeze on my face... pure BLISS!

Things weren't picking up much, so my midwife and her assistant took a break and went into town for a little while with instructions to us to call if things changed.  And they did!  Right after they left.  My husband kept asking me if I needed to call her back.  "I can't think," was the only response I could give.  I was in such a fog - I understood what was being asked but I felt I couldn't give a rational answer.  I was NOT lucid!  Eventually, I did have my husband call.  They were back in a flash - and by then I was really feeling things moving along!

I came back inside and went to my bed.  My midwife, the assistant, my husband, and Casey helped get the birthing tub filled up for me.  (Oh!  Did I mention my 10 year old daughter stayed?  I did all manner of prepping her for the birth - from "The Talk" to watching birth videos including "The Business of Being Born."  She was as ready as she could be!)  Once I was in my tub, the fog lifted, albeit briefly.

All throughout my labor, my right thigh was KILLING me!  With every contraction, I asked my husband to squeeze my leg where the pain was radiating.  That helped some.  The water helped a great deal...until I had to go to the restroom.  (I had to ask my midwife what to do!)  My midwife had me get out of the tub.  I walked to the master bathroom (staring longingly at my bed as I passed it by - that was a very long walk to my bathroom, not because of the distance, but due to the contractions).  After I finished in the bathroom, I knew I couldn't make it back to my tub.  I collapsed on my bed, had a couple of contractions, then my water broke.  THAT'S when I needed to push.  So I did!  I've never pushed a baby out so fast!  3 or 4 pushes in 10 minutes and I had a baby girl!  (So, according to my midwife, it only took 3 hours of active labor, instead of the 15 hours I was counting from contractions beginning to birth.)  By the way, the reason my thigh was hurting so much is because the little girl was born with her fist coming out right beside her head!  Ouch!

Casey saw her little sister before my husband and I did!  My midwife said Casey's eyes were HUGE!  Funny thing about our littlest girl...she didn't cry!  She was just calm as a cucumber.  And purple, too!  And given that combination, I was concerned, but my midwife didn't seem to be.  Casey got to cut the cord, and everyone and the bed got cleaned up.  Then, we were able to begin enjoying the newest family member!

And what a joy she's been the four weeks we've had her!

Welcome Baby Girl!  (We'll come up with something to call you online, I promise!)

[By the way, my wonderful midwife can be found at:  Journey of Life Midwifery Services ]

With a Little Help from My Kids...

Several years ago, a very wise woman was having a picnic for the parents and children of her art class. At the end of the meal, the parents stood up and began clearing the dishes. "Wait! Let the children do that!" she exclaimed. Then she went on to explain that if children have the ability to do a task, they should do it. It isn't cruel; it teaches them to be responsible adults. At the time, I only had two children ages 4 and 2. Her advice to the parents struck home and that very day my children started taking responsibility (and pride) in cleaning up after themselves. 

Flash forward 5 years later - March 2012. My husband and I were taking a weekly F!nancial Peace Univer$ity class (you know, Dave Ramsey). Dave also has a FPU Junior course for children. Intrigued, I bought the kit and walked through it with my children. Now, we had been trying various reward systems for a few years by this point - they earned everything from marbles (redeemable for items), quarters, candy, and other rewards for completing their chores. However, I always fell behind in keeping up with everything. FPU Junior somewhat simplified things for me - but I simplified it further...

My children have daily and weekly tasks to perform. Each day they make up their beds, clean up their rooms, clear their dishes, etc. They also have age-appropriate jobs. Monday through Friday, they can earn a dollar a day - except for Chaucer - he earns quarters when he does an individual task (little kids like the clink of coins; they haven't yet learned to appreciate a piece of paper with a dead President on it). I also give an incentive dollar - if they have earned all 5 dollars for the week, I'll give them an extra dollar. They can also earn extra dollars for doing extra work; I never tell them they can earn the extra dollar and they know they should not ask for the extra dollar. Pay day is Saturday at breakfast. I give them their earnings for the week then they sort their money into three envelopes: SAVE, GIVE, and SPEND. This past Saturday was a "Give" week - so they have to put $1 in their Give envelope (regardless if they earned one dollar for the week or six). Anything left can go in either Save or Spend. Next week will be a "Save" week - so, again, $2 (regardless of the money earned) goes in their Save envelope. So, every two weeks, they are giving 10% (to our church) and 20% to their savings accounts. They usually keep those monies in the envelopes for a couple of months at which point we bring the envelopes to our church and to the bank. As for spend, they can spend their money on whatever they want to. I, personally, love the Spend envelopes! When we go to a fair, museum, or store, they aren't begging me for toys. They know to bring their money! This system has saved me and my husband a small fortune, I'm sure! Yesterday, while we were out and about, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. Casey, wanting a milkshake and knowing not to ask me, whipped out a couple of dollars of her own money and bought one for herself. She was positively beaming about that milkshake! 

One other thing I've implemented in our home is KID OF THE WEEK (KOTW). What a life saver this has been!! My children used to argue over who would go first - or, rather, last - when seeing their music teacher. KOTW has changed that! They used to break their necks to run out and get the mail. No more of that nonsense since we have a KOTW! Kid of the Week has advantages and disadvantages. Kid of the Week gets to check the mail, has a stronger vote in the choice of flicks for Family Movie Night, and gets their choice of where to sit during that movie. Kid of the Week also has to practice piano and voice first, has to clear extra dishes from the dining room table, has piano and voice lessons first, waters the plants, feeds the dog, and helps me sort and bag recycling. I'm sure there are more KOTW tasks, but I can't remember them right now. Recently, given that we will have a newborn in the house soon, I've given the kids a few new tasks to do and have taught them how to clean showers and Casey has learned how to set the washing machine to do laundry. Because of the simple advice I was given years ago, my children take pride in their home, earn money they can give and save and spend, and I have an amazingly clean home (usually) considering 6 people (7 before too long) live here!

Playing with an Unborn Baby

I woke up from a nap (the blessed repose I seek most afternoons) to find Baby Cinco's foot busily working my right side.  So, I decided to play with that little foot.  It was an enjoyable few minutes - probably the most fun I've had with this last part of my pregnancy, thus far - complete with me talking to my baby.  Of course, there is a person in there, but I really feel as though I was bonding with this person.  I mean, there is a PERSON inside of me - and we were PLAYING!!!

I thought I would blog about some ways a mommy (and daddy and siblings) can play with the baby before baby is even born.

1)  Talking.  The baby always hears its mommy's voice, but it's a good think to talk directly to the baby.  I'm guilty of not talking to this baby as much as I did with my other children, especially my first.  When I want quiet time these days, I'd like it to be, well... quiet.  But I try, when I think of it, to speak directly to Baby Cinco.  Tell the baby you are excited to be meeting him, you love her, what you imagine he looks like.  I also encourage my husband and my children to talk to the baby.  Casey is quite fond of talking to her unborn sibling - it's very sweet.

2)  Singing.  I enjoy singing; my children and I are constantly singing.  Sometimes, we even sing to Baby Cinco.  Even if you're not the greatest singer, I think music has a profound impact on people - even unborn babies.

3)  Music.  Of course, with singing comes music.  I usually wake up to the same song every morning:  Loreena McKennit's "The Old Ways."  I love it, and I've noticed Baby Cinco loves it, too.  When I was in my 6th month of pregnancy, I noticed one morning that she started stirring as soon as Loreena began to sing (there is a long instrumental intro to the piece before the singing begins).  After a few weeks of playing this song every day and noticing that Baby Cinco woke up during the tune, I decided to play it one afternoon when baby was still.  Sure enough, she woke up when the singing began.  I can't wait to play the song for Baby Cinco in person (not in utero)!  I'm interested to see if she'll perk up or calm down.

4)  Massage.  I think most expectant mothers rub their bellies - consciously or otherwise.  Rubbing your belly can also act as baby massage, depending on how firm the rubbing is.  It feels good for mommy and baby, too!

5)  Light.  I've always played the flashlight game with my unborn babies.  You know, taking a flashlight and seeing if baby reacts. 

6)  Reading.  Similar to my music experiment, reading the same book over and over to your unborn baby may have an effect on the baby once the baby has made his/her appearance.  With Casey, I read Guess How Much I Love You.  Unfortunately, I didn't read it on a daily basis until she was born, but it was still fun to interact with her prenatally.

7)  Tickling.  This was my inspiration for writing this blog post.  I found my baby's little foot began my quest to tickle it.  It was fun to see that foot trying to escape my tickles.

So... there you have it!  Play with your baby now - you don't have to wait until your baby is born to play with - and bond with - your little one.

NEWS FLASH! Cookies!!!

I love cookies.  LOVE.  This time of year used to be my dream season (except the years I gave up sweets for Lent; then it became torture season)...  Girl Sc0ut cookie season.

However, given my feelings about my girls' past experiences with Girl Sc0uts, my husband's boycotting the Girl Sc0ut cookie sales for socio-political reasons (which I support), and the fact they charge WAY TOO MUCH for a box of cookies (they're good, but not THAT good), we aren't buying Girl Sc0ut cookies this year.

Fortunately, I have found something better than a substitute for Samoas.  These things ARE Samoas - with slightly different packaging, a much lower price ($1.40 a box), and year-round availability.

Check this out:

Yup!  I'm convinced these cookies are manufactured at the same place making Samoas.  These cookies look, smell, and taste like Samoas.  The interior packaging is the same.  The exterior packaging is frighteningly similar (the purple box).  So!  There you are!

Oh!  I got these at Big Lot$.  I'm beside myself excited!

If you know of any good Girl Sc0ut cookie knock offs or something very similar, let me know.  Just be warned:  I haven't yet baked a cookie myself that is "just like" a thin mint, so I'm not very keen on recipe substitutes.