“I had a rough day, Mama.”

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Today when I picked Miles up from preschool, I was told by his teachers that he wasn’t feeling well and showed me the digital thermometer readout of 101.6. Great, I thought, and let out a big sigh. He was splotchy and tired looking with tiny tears in his eyes. He hadn’t eaten his snack and only half of his lunch. Very unusual for my big eater. As I walked him to the door with his school bag dragging on the floor, I promised that we could go home and I’d make him feel all better soon. That’s a mothers job, right?

He kept his head down as we walked to the car and just kept saying my name like he wanted to tell me something, but didn’t know how. When we finally reached the sidewalk next to our car he told me that boy 1 and boy 2 (names omitted for obvious reasons) hit him. He was crying then. He said that when he was feeling sick and laying down on the carpet, the 2 boys had kicked him and hit him, saying that they wouldn’t play with him anymore. He said that his foot hurt from where they had kicked his foot. “Why? Why did they say that Mama?”. I was crying then, “I don’t know, honey.” I kissed his warm head, held his round little cheeks in my hand and told him that he was very much loved.

Driving home, I tried to explain that sometimes kids do mean things to each other and it doesn’t make them bad kids. I tried to remind him of the times he’d been mean to his little brother or his friend because they weren’t doing things the way he wanted them to. I told him that no matter what a couple of kids do or say, he is a good boy that is loved and cherished by many. I also tried desperately not to turn the car around and hunt down boy 1 and boy 2 and their parents. I’m proud of myself for driving all the way home instead of going postal on some unsuspecting 4 1/2 year olds. After sitting quietly for a while he said, ” I had a rough day, Mama.”

It is of course terrible when bullying happens to your child. It breaks my heart that I wasn’t there to protect him and scare the bejeezes out of those boys. I know how it feels to be bullied. For me, it didn’t happen until middle school. Maybe I was lucky. Maybe the kids are getting meaner earlier. Whatever the case, I’m so proud of him for telling me and trusting that I would help. Even if the help was hugs, kisses and loving words. The bullies were dealt with by the teachers when it happened, so I guess there’s no need for me to make a big fuss with the parents at this point. If it happens again though, boy 1 and boy 2 better watch their backs!

No Bullying sign - School in Racine, Wisconsin

No Bullying sign – School in Racine, Wisconsin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Health Juice!

11 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in Food, Places I love, Quickies

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is my little concoction to keep me and my kids healthy this fall and winter. My husband won’t touch it (you’ll see why when you read the ingredients), but we love it and so do both of my nieces. OK, it’s not really my concoction. It’s straight from the Bragg Organic Raw-Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar bottle in my kitchen. I noticed it one day when for some reason I decided to read the label. It’s officially called the Bragg Vinegar Health Drink. I dubbed it Health Juice because pretty much anything that’s called juice is OK with my kids. I mean, they chug this stuff! The ingredients are simple and always plentiful in our house.

The label says: 1-2 tsps Bragg Organic Vinegar in 8oz of purified water and 1-2 tsps Organic Honey, 100% Maple Syrup, Blackstrap Molasses or 4 drop herb Stevia.

I use local honey from Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ to sweeten the drink and, like I said, we love it. I know it sounds weird and quite possibly icky if you don’t normally use vinegar for anything other than salad dressing, but it’s super good for you. The combination of the vinegar and the honey helps chase those germs away and strengthens your immune system.

I have been making individual servings for us every time we needed a dose, but today I saw this pretty bottle at the store and thought, ” Dude! I should totally make a big bottle of it and keep it in the fridge!”. Yes, my inner voice is apparently an 80s surfer. So I bought it and mad a batch. I quadrupled the recipe and now we’ll have a lovely bottle of Health Juice waiting for us when we need a pick me up. Sometimes I’m knocked over by my own brilliance. *smirk*
Related articles

Yikes!

09 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in Places I love, Quickies

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Apparently it’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to write! Not since September? Really? OK then, here’s what happened.

* Miles turned the big 04. Man, is he getting big!

* I started working at a fantastic little bakery called The Dessert Plate on Saturday mornings.

* We finally got help with our mortgage and are now (thanks to our president) able to stay in our house!!

* We survived Hurricane Sandy. All we lost was some food in the fridge. We were extremely fortunate in so many ways. So many are still without power, homes and basic necessities. *Please, donate whatever you can to the Hurricane Sandy relief drives in your towns. It’s getting colder every day. Thanks you.*

* Halloween was cancelled in our town due to the storm and so we had our own little Halloween party including room to room trick-or-treating at my sister in-law’s house.

* Our CSA is winding down, but we are thrilled with all the squash, potatoes, apples and onion we are still getting.

* President Barak Obama was re-elected a few days ago. My family could not be happier about the elections. Well, that’s not true. I am extremely disappointed that Prop. 37 was not voted into effect. We continue to go without GMO labeling in California, and therefore, the rest of the country.

* Thanksgiving is right around the corner! We are planning our own Thanksgiving dinner at home this year instead of driving to my parents. We’ll make the drive at Christmas instead.

That’s all I can muster at the moment. I hope that my readers are well and happy.

Related articles

Why Organic?

06 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Food

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Labeling for products that meet the USDA-NOP s...

Labeling for products that meet the USDA-NOP standards (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve been asked quite a few times why I buy organic. Most of the people asking me are honestly curious about the benefits, but others are trying to start a debate. Usually they ask if the taste of organic produce is really any better, why would I spend so much extra money and if there is any difference nutritionally. I try to keep my answers short and to the point. I try not to come off sounding too “better than you” or judgmental. It doesn’t always work and I know that some walk away believing that I am a conceited food snob. That’s fine, I’m not choosing organic for them. I’m choosing it for my family.

To address the first question, do I think organic produce tastes better? My answer is, sometimes. If it’s locally grown and in season, the answer is yes. If it’s imported from across the country or the world, there’s probably not much difference. Just picked tastes better in my opinion. That’s all it is though, my opinion.

Why would I spend sooo much money to buy organic produce, meat, milk, juice… yada yada yada? Well, the answer to that is, our health insurance sucks. This is our supplemental healthy insurance. With all of the studies that have been presented linking pesticides to several forms of cancers, respiratory issues, allergies and so on, I’m doing all I can to keep us healthy and out of the doctor’s office. More here, here and here.

Is organic produce better, nutritionally speaking? To my knowledge, yes. There are more nutrients in the soil and the plants grown in the soil. The less pesticides, the more vitamins and minerals. More here.

Finally, to the debaters, I try to gently make it clear that this “Organic thing” is not a phase I’m going through. It’s not a fad for me. It’s the way I’ve been feeding myself since I was about 24 years old. I’m now about to turn 38. If I’ve inspired some people along the way to start eating organic, that’s awesome. If I’ve annoyed a bunch of people with my answers, eh… I guess that’s their issue.  I like who I am and I love that my family is healthy the majority of the time.

Even now, writing this, I wonder if I’m being too “better than you”. Should I even bother publishing this? Do people really want to know why organic is important to me? I guess, based on how many times I’ve been asked, somebody out there might want to know.

 

 

Related articles

On the water infusion bandwagon.

13 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Food, Quickies

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

There are a million and one water infusion recipes out there now. They are easy, refreshing and a great way to use up the clippings from you herb garden as well as the fruit that’s on it’s way out in your crisper. I’ve been trying to create and consume a new flavored water at least 4 or 5 times a week.

Miles helps me with the smashing of the fruit and herbs, adding the water and of course the licking of the spoon. He asks me each day if we can “have an infusion”. It makes me happy to get him involved with the whole process and he ends up drinking more water. It’s a big win in my book.

In case you are not aware of the water infusion trend, all you need is:

A large pitcher

Any combination of herbs and/or fruit that sounds good to you

Cold Water

A big smashing spoon

Ice or a pitcher with a built in ice core

If you are using fresh herbs, tear each leaf in half before dropping it into the pitcher. Slice up the fruit and add to the pitcher. Smash the herbs and fruit with the large spoon, releasing all the yummy flavors. Add cold water and ice. Stir. Lick the spoon. Let the infusion sit for an hour or so in the fridge. Drink all day.

Today’s infusion is lavender, basil and mango water!

Related articles

Two things I hate = something I love.

06 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in Quickies

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Exercising with Good Housekeeping

Exercising with Good Housekeeping (Photo credit: kevin dooley)

 

Thing #1 that I hate, is house work.

I would NEVER claim to be a good house keeper. Never in a million years. I don’t enjoy any part of of it. Some people can find some kind of peace in the meditation of it. Some call it working yoga. To me it’s just plain work, unfortunately. My husband is far better at keeping house than I am. He actually finds it relaxing to do dishes and sweep. I know that he wishes I were more tidy, but he knew going into this marriage that I just wasn’t built that way.

Thing #2 that I hate, is exercising.

Daily exercise doesn’t really exist for me. I do try to keep it going. I’ll be good for a week or so, but after that week, I get bored with it and go back to being sedentary. As sedentary as a stay at home mom can be anyway. I truly admire those that don’t feel good until they get in a run or make it to the gym. I find it much too easy to just plop myself in front of the computer screen (like now for instance) and pretend that I’m too busy to get any exercise in.

The #1 thing I love, is maintaining my weight now that I’m done breastfeeding Juniper.

So, I’ve decided that since I really don’t want to be embarrassed every time someone drops by the house, I’m going to make cleaning house part of my daily exercise. It truly is a good workout, especially in these high temperatures. I’ve been finding myself working up a huge sweat every time I start straightening, sweeping, washing, folding, organizing and so forth. The house and the scale are looking all the better for it.

I don’t know how long this will keep up for me, but I highly recommend it to any other non-house keepers out there that find themselves putting on the pounds. In the end it’s all a vanity thing, but whatevs. Better looking house = better looking me.

Related articles

One day, everything just changes.

21 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

 

I returned home Tuesday after 8 days in upstate NY with my children, family and friends. Kofi stayed in NJ working and doing some home improvement. It was only a little over a week away, but so much changed in that short time.

Juniper is walking almost exclusively, eating mostly bite sized food instead of mashed, making word-like sounds and completely stopped nursing. The last one is the most stunning change for me.

He went from nursing 4 or 5 times a day to 2 times and then to not at all in a matter of 6 days. He just stopped wanting it. I’m not sure if it was all the activity with so many other people, or that he just started a new phase. Whatever it was, it was very abrupt and disorienting for me. One morning I sat down to nurse him and he just looked at it, looked at me and pushed it away. I tried a couple more times, but he would have none of it. Luckily we had plenty of organic milk in the fridge and his sippy cup for water.

I know I should feel relieved at my new found freedom. I’m no longer tied down by a feeding schedule or burdened with toting a pump and bottles around when away from him. There is some relief in there somewhere. There is mostly shock and sadness. I’m mourning his babyhood, I think. He seems more like a little man now instead of a baby. Wobbling, verbalizing and drinking from a cup, not snuggling up in my arms for a drink. My back will be happier for sure. Breastfeeding has taken a huge toll on my back over the years. Holding my children in one position while they drink for extended amounts of time has made me hunch even when I’m not holding them.

I’ll definitely need to increase the amount of exercise I do every week, since my free -all you can eat while breastfeeding- pass has now expired. My appetite definitely hasn’t changed, so I’m going to have to work out more if I don’t want to gain back a ton of weight. It’s going to take more than just 2 or 3 long walks a week to keep me slim. I’m thinking yoga and possibly some dance parties with the kids might work. Since Juni is walking, I may be running more than usual too.

Anyway, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. I can see now that I really need to appreciate every little step along the way, because one day, everything just changes.

Related articles

What does it mean to be a “natural mama”?

01 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Food, Places I love

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

*Eat right when you’re pregnant.

*Give birth without drugs.

*Eat right when you’re nursing.

*Nurse for as long as you can.

*Give you baby a variety of home cooked purees when they switch to solids.

*Always make the meals organic.

These are a few of the “rules” that natural mamas tend to follow.

Creating a healthy, chemical free environment for us and our babies is a top priority. This includes what we feed them, what we clean the house with, what we bathe them with and what they play with.

All of these are wonderful standards to try to live up to. Sometimes though, we can drive ourselves absolutely batty in the process. Just making fresh juice for my 3 1/2 year old and myself every morning can stress me out beyond belief when we have a busy day ahead of us.  I’ve set these goals for myself and I try my hardest to reach them. The truth is,  some days, I do better than others.

But, with all the hard work I create for myself to be uber-mom, there’s one simple thing that I do every week to improve their lives immensely. No, it’s not brewing up a giant jar of kambucha, like slightly more intense natural moms like to do. It’s bringing them to the farm to visit the animals and pick up our CSA share. Miles especially loves saying hello to all his animal friends each time and scaling the tall hay mountain set aside for kids to play on. What I love is seeing his eyes light up when I carry the box of produce and eggs to the car. I have to show him each vegetable and basket of berries, so he knows what we’re going to be eating that week.

When we get home from the farm, he helps to wash the produce and as I put it in the fridge, he sometimes gets a sample of the goods. So far he’s been able to try 3 different kinds of lettuce, fresh asparagus, strawberries, mint, basil and cilantro. He wasn’t so keen on the radishes, but most everything else has been a hit. Just picked produce tastes loads better than week old and that is something that he is learning to be true.

Basically, being a natural mama isn’t just what you feed them or surround them with. It’s also what experiences you share with them that will teach them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Show them the connection between what they see growing in the ground, on the bushes and trees and what goes on their plates. Letting them hold and wash the vegetables will make them more likely to want to taste them. I started having Miles help me wash the vegetables each week when he was about 2 ears old. This is when he started chomping on carrots, celery and broccoli like it was a bag of chips.

I’m not saying that every kid out there is going to go for this, but it definitely couldn’t hurt to try. The younger the better! For kids, new is exciting, no matter what it is.

 

Related articles

Baby’s First Year

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Places I love, Quickies

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, ,

 

What a perfectly perfect day to celebrate Juniper’s first birthday!

The sun shone all day long. We visited Alstede Farm and all it’s wonders.

We sampled some wonderful treats from The Dessert Plate in town.

Juniper took more consecutive steps today than he has so far.

It was truly a day to remember.

Now, after finishing our dinner and more birthday treats, we are heading to the library to find a little fun in the children’s section.

Here’s hoping that year two is as wonderful as it’s first day!

 

Global Writing Revolution

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , ,

 

Although I find it extremely difficult to keep up with all the daily blogs that my peers are rolling out, I have recently been thinking just how amazing all these women writers are. Actually that’s not true. I guess I really find it amazing that now, all of these amazing women have a way to be heard. Not until the past few years has it been so easy to find each other and share stories, advice, sorrow, excitement, love, dreams, ambition, recipes, fashion and desperately sought after information that helps us feel connected. Connected to other women going through the same things we are or went through years ago and can now offer guidance.

One of my girlfriends asked me why it is that I don’t talk that much about myself and my feelings one on one, but seem to have no trouble opening up when I write. I didn’t have any one solid answer then, but after mulling it over for a week or so, I think I have a better grasp on it. It’s much easier to purge my emotions to the keyboard because I don’t need to make eye contact with anyone or face judgement. It’s the coward’s way out I suppose, but still it’s true for me. Also, I write for myself as a therapy. When the day, week or whatever gets to be too much, I just mentally release it all to my computer and I don’t have to worry about it tuning me out because I’ve complained about the same thing over and over again. Which, let’s face it, we all do sometimes. Lastly, I get to edit what I write. Sadly, we can’t take back the words that we speak. They are just out there hanging in the air and have to deal with the consequences. Again, the cowards way out. It would be wonderful if I was courageous enough to speak my mind and emotions whenever I felt it, but not wanting to offend rules over that desire.

So, back to the original concept of this post. The internet has given us all a way to be closer to people we would have never known existed otherwise. A woman in London, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Alaska, New York, Boston, Germany, New Jersey… All connected by our need to be heard and more importantly, understood. Maybe we want some fresh feedback. Maybe we just want to feel like our feelings matter and that our likes and dislikes are shared by other women. Maybe we want to be the ones guiding our sisters through their tough times.

Whatever the reason that this global writing revolution started, I’m glad for it. I’m glad for all of the women that light up my computer screen, put knew meals on my table, teach me, inspire me and help me feel more connected everyday.

Related articles
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 25 other followers