Bounty September 11, 2008

I have to share with you all something I’ve been doing for the past few weeks.  I went to a local organic grocery store and signed up for their “bin service”.  With this service, you give them a dollar amount and then each week they have a bin of delicious organic produce for you.  You can choose to have it delivered or picked up.  I am LOVING this!

Why do I love it so?  Let me count the ways.

1) It’s convenient.  I have an assortment of fruits and veg waiting for me in a container labeled with my name.   I pick it up. I take it home.  The end.

2) It’s introducing new things to our dinner table.  I haven’t received anything too exotic yet but there have been a few things in there that I don’t normally buy.  It’s neat to have more variety of fruits and veggies in our diet.  It’s making me try new things and expand on my current veggie recipes.

3) It’s all organic.  Organic produce is getting easier to find in most centres but you usually have a limited selection.  I can always find organic apples, lettuce, carrots and bananas but green beans, canteloupe, oranges, etc. are a little harder to find. Until now.

4) I like the mystery. The surprise.  Each week the girls and I go to pick up our bin and get in the car and root through it like it’s a treasure chest. “What did we get this week?!” I holler into the backseat and then start calling out names of the fruits and veggies in our bin. 

5) It’s actually saving me money.  I didn’t expect that.  But the produce is such high quality that it lasts a bit longer, ripens properly and is always delish.  From the regular grocery store I’m constantly buying peaches that never ripen, tasteless necatarines that just get thrown out, bananas that somehow just go from green to brown, skipping the yellow stage all together.  I’m throwing a whole lot less out.

6) In the winter I may choose to go with the delivery option and pay a couple extra dollars a week so I don’t have to leave the house.  How sweet is that?

7) It’s supporting a local business and Canadian grown produce. 

8 ) It’s peaked Abby (and Jordan’s!) interest in fruits and veggies. They are eager to try the new things I bring home.

 

So that’s it.  I’m really enjoying this.  The picture above is my bin from today. Lettuce, tomatoes, nectarines, plums, apples, oranges, yellow beans, canteloupe, carrots, bananas. yum!

The Cup: Diva Style September 7, 2008

Just a fair warning, my male readers reader (Hi Mike C!) may want to tune out for this entry.  It may be too much information so read on with caution.

Many of us know the dangers of using tampons.  They contain rayon to help with absorption and dioxins (a chemical used when bleaching) which are a known carcinogen. (If you want more info on this, google it.) There are also rumors that tampons cause you to bleed more and for longer and that they may even lead to cramping.  I’ve been thinking of giving tampons the boot for quite some time.

So, this past week I finally got up the courage to try out my Diva Cup. For those who don’t know, it’s a little silicone cup that you insert instead of a tampon.  Once it’s inside, it opens up, creating a tight seal and simply catches your flow.  Depending on your flow, you have to empty the cup a few times a day.  For me, 2-3 times. 

Anyway, after just one cycle, I am SOLD.  I will never go back to using tampons again.  This may be coincidence, I’m not sure, but I had no cramps this entire period. Not one.  That doesn’t happen. I always have atleast one or two days of moderate cramping and achiness.  And my period that usually lasts 7-8 days is almost gone after day 4.   Maybe those aren’t just rumors after all!

There are other benefits to the Diva Cup as well.  First of all, you can buy them locally usually for around $40 or here online for about $17.  Compare that to the cost of pads and tampons.  Say $10 a month x 12 months x 35+ years of menstrating = $4200+. 

And for those who care about the environmental aspect, think about how much trash your cycle creates using tampons and pads compared to having no garabge from the Diva Cup.  Or consider the chemicals and processes used to make a tampon that are harmful to the earth compared to the resources needed to manufacture one cup. See?  You’ll be saving the earth too.

Best part of all, I keep forgetting that I even have my period.  For real.  I’ve had a few “oh yeah!” moments which, of course, is most excellent. Even Jordan, my husband, keeps saying he’s forgotten since garbage isn’t overflowing with wrappers and I’m not complaining about cramps and backaches. 

It’s only fair that I give the downsides too. Although there are few I’ll include them so this will be a fair review.  It’s a bit tricky to get in properly at first, making sure the cup has popped open and that it’s properly positioned.  I’d recommend wearing a pad for the first cycle just until you know you’ve got it right.  Some people get it right away while others take a few cycles to really master it.  Also, this may be too much info, but it is obviously a little messier than just putting in a tampon but really isn’t that big of a bother.

I believe that Diva Cup even has a money back guarantee if you don’t love it. So try it.  I’m so glad that I did!

The Bod August 28, 2008

Ugh.

Scales lie.

They must.

Why do I weigh less than I have since even before we got married yet have more lovehandles and rolls than I can ever remember having?

I’m sick to death of trying to lose weight.  It doesn’t help that my husband Jordan said he’d rather me eat nachos and ice cream with him every night than have me be thinner than I am now. And so he makes nachos and buys me ice cream and really? Who could resist a gift, especially when it’s sitting right in front of you?

So, I’ve mentioned before that I want to lose 10 more lbs. but really have no interest in dieting.  I like to eat, I like to eat what I want, I like to eat whatever quantity I want and yes, I even like to eat when I’m not hungry. You don’t need to be hungry to enjoy a chocolate bar or potato skins.  You just don’t.

That leaves me with the option of exercising.  And so I have been! Yay me.

Oh, I guess I should preface by saying I quit running.  My knees hated it.  My girls hated it. The end of that tiny little chapter in my life. 

I just finished an 8 week yoga class that I really enjoyed, I’ve been walking with the girls a lot over the summer, I’ve been trying to be more active in general- less sitting on the couch, more playing with the girls- that kind of thing.

Since my yoga class ended I’ve decided to put to use the recumbent exercise bike my grandma gave me a few week ago.  It’s practically new, it’s so quiet and has a lot of features that I’m enjoying.  For example, it’s so quiet that yesterday I watched a rerun of Desperate Housewives while I bike 10 km in 28 minutes burning 150 calories.  I’m a stat person and those numbers keep me going. I plan on doing it 3-4x a week and hope that things like that will help me drop the last of these unwanted desperately clingy pounds.

I am also hoping to sign up for another more challenging yoga class starting in September. It’s Hot Yoga and I think I’m going to love it.  The class I just finished taking helped me grow leaps and bounds in terms of flexiblity. Wow! I’m looking forward to this next class to hopefully improve on that and also gain some strength, something I am sorely missing.

So there’s an update.  Not an exciting one but I thought I’d better post something on this poor neglected blog.

Anyone done Hot Yoga before? Thoughts?

The Place Where You Live August 20, 2008

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately so naturally, I brought my thoughts here to share with you all.

 

Jordan and I sometimes toss around the idea of moving.  Although Summerland is our ideal dream (because although a fairly wealthy town, I think it does fall under the catergory of what I’m describing below), these moves I’m going to refer to are local ones. While we like our house and some of our neighbours, this isn’t the area I’d like to raise my kids in.  I don’t know why.  It’s just a typical middle class neighbourhood. And I definitely HATE living on street that we do.  Too busy.

We always keep our eye on the market and houses that pop up for sale in a certain subdivision here called ‘Cathedral’.  It’s an old, old, area.  With Elm trees that reach over the streets, meeting the middle.  The houses are all character homes from the early nineteen hundreds. But the neighbourhood is bursting with character.  You’ll find more people wearing flowy skirts and dread locks than brand name clothing.   More people sitting on corner cafes talking to each other instead of on cell phones.  Many people in the neighbourhood don’t even own a vehicle but rely on their feet and public transportation and do this by choice.  The neighbourhood has a butcher, a bakery, cute little shops selling clothing, specialty teas and a few doctors and dentists.  Children are outside running! and playing! instead of sitting around texting each other.  On one corner you’ll see a wealthy family in their home and on the other, someone picking through a dumpster for leftover.  An artsy community, often throwing street fairs to sell their creations. Completely my cup of tea.  I’m a bit of a hippe at heart.  It’s diverse, for sure.  But I want my kids to see that. There are a variety of people with a variety of incomes but everyone there seems to have the same ideals. All like minded. O.k. not everyone. Just everyone I know who lives there. I’d love to live in a neighbourhood like that.

Some thinks it’s odd that I wouldn’t be dying to send my kids to one of the schools in a wealthy neighbourhood.  I really want them to go to school with kids who don’t get everything they want, who don’t all have cell phones by grade 6 and who have a little appreciation and respect for the people, the things, the nature around them.

I’m dreaming … I know.  I don’t think there are many of those kids that exist anymore and definitely not a whole school full of them.

And then sometimes Jordan and I dream of buying a place out of town.  Some place close enough to commute to work but just far enough away that it feels like we are out in the country.  A big garden that will hopefully help turn my black thumb green, a clothesline, a big yellow school bus trekking down gravel roads to pick up the girls and take them to their little school with small class rooms.

After typing this I just realized the common trend.  The key to what I’m looking for. Simplicity. A simple life. Something a little more ‘back to basics’.

Anyone know where or how I can find that without joining a religious colony?

I’ve Lost Him August 12, 2008

Jordan has been so supportive and in favor of all the changes we’ve been making.  From our diets, to new ideas about what the girls should and shouldn’t be exposed to, to trying to leave a smaller footprint on the earth.  He never makes fun.  Always asks good questions.  He’s usually happy to be along for the ride.

Until now.

He thinks I’ve lost it.  He’s making fun of me.  He calls me names like “crazy” and “psycho” and has mastered a not-so-nice impression of me.

You see, for a few months now I feel like I’ve been affected by things that I see.  They make me feel bad.  Like violent movies and t.v. shows, for example.  I really noticed when we were watching the last season of 24.  I had my eyes closed most of the time, my heart felt funny and my stomach sick.  I had to ask myself why I thought it was o.k. to watch people being torchered and killed.  And for those of you who are anything like Jordan, YES! I know it’s not real.  But I really feel like I’ve become calloused to a lot of these things.  And, here’s where I get “crazy” apparently, I feel like all these things you see become a part of who you are.  (It’s o.k. You can snicker.  My husband does right to my face.)  I think it hardens our hearts, introduces negative energies, feelings, thoughts.  I learned so much about how our bodies, minds, hormones even, react to seeing stuff like that and well, it’s not that good.  Do I really want to release stress hormones into my body just so I can watch the Joker kill someone? Not really.  But more than physical, what’s bothering me more is the mental and emotional. 

The last straw for me was when Jordan and I went to go see the Dark Knight a few weeks back.  I had my eyes closed a lot, looking like a 6 year old wussy girl, I’m sure.  But I just don’t like seeing stuff like that. I’ve always been like that.  I could never watch a fight in highschool because it made me sick to my stomach.  Even though I used to like scary movies, truthfully, my hands covered my face half the time.

I guess for me it’s like this.  You wouldn’t want to surround yourself with negative, downer people, right?  I feel the same way about being around violence, whether it be in real life or on t.v.  Real or fake.  Just gives me the same types of feelings. Brings me down the same way.

So I told Jordan I’m done.  Maybe for a long while or maybe I just need a break.  I don’t know.

He asked me if I was implying that he should stop too. And no, I wasn’t.  I think it’s a personal choice.  If it doesn’t bother and affect him the way it does me, I see no reason why he can’t go on watching whatever he chooses.  He’s been watching movies alone more often lately.

As for me, I see enough of that junk on t.v. in the evening news, read about it in the papers and get a glimpse of all the horror I can handle when I watch documentaries & read stories about the women and children in Africa.  I don’t need more of it and I certainly don’t need it to “entertain me”.

So there you have it.  I’ve gone mad.

Milk It August 4, 2008

We are right in the middle of Breastfeeding Awareness Week. So, to show my support and to help bring awareness, I’ve decided to post this entry on both this and my A Little Bit of Us blog.

Not breastfeeding wasn’t ever even an option for me. I never had to make the decision because it’s just what everyone does, right?

I went into nursing Abby misinformed and underinformed. Nursing started off really well but by about 2 1/2 months I was having trouble with supply. So by three months, I quit and started her on formula. Never thought much of it until I got pregnant again and decided that this around I was going to be much more educated on pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

I’m certain now that I could have continued nursing Abby if I would have been more knowledgeable. I am currently studying for both my doula and breastfeeding counsellor certificates, as many of you know. I am so convinced now that about 99.9% of women out there CAN breastfeed, even if they’ve been told they can’t, think they have supply issues or something physical holding them from nursing their babes. I’m reading a book for my course called Breastfeeding Made Simple and it’s absolutely fantastic. My mind is bursting with new information, pounding with tidbits I can’t wait to share with others and I am learning that so much of what I thought was true is actually a myth. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is nursing and/or planning to nurse. It’s one of those books that I think should be required reading for expectant moms. Read it. I love what I’m learning and wish I would have known a bit more when I had Abby so I could have continued on with this healthy habit for both her and I. I thought I was pretty informed about breastfeeding but I can now say I’m stunned at what I DIDN’T know.

Among the things I’m learning is just how vitally important breastfeeding is for babies’ health, how formula will never come close to the perfection that is breastmilk and how so many women are misinformed, even by their well-meaning doctors. I really don’t like to shove information at people or throw my opinions down people’s throats but there is just so much wonderful information in this book that I just want everyone to know.

I expected nursing Josie to be simple. I enjoyed nursing and I had been there, done that. um… no. Unlike with Abby, we got off to a rocky start. Things were going so rough for the first two weeks that I would dread the moment when Josie started showing signs of hunger. I experienced much discomfort that led to nipple distortion, bleeding, bruising and engorgement. Thankfully!! I have a friend, Amy, who is a La Leche League leader and I called her to come over to save my weary, tired, post partum soul. She saved me. I am so grateful for how she helped me. She came over, watched me painfully nurse Josie and within 5 minutes, had Josie nursing PAIN FREE. Pain free! I suffered for two or three weeks and all it took was a phone call and five minutes and it was over. Turned out Josie just had a shallow latch. Amy sat and visited with me while Josie nursed and nursed and nursed. She drank all she could, rolled over and zonked out so hard, milk drunk. I never had trouble again. Oh wait, maybe I shouldn’t say that. Josie has two bottom teeth and this week has taken to trying them out on me. Awesome.

Anyway, to sum up I just wanted to say that if you need help or are experiencing any pain- GET HELP. It shouldn’t hurt and it should be peaceful and wonderful for you and your baby. If you don’t think you can breastfeed, think again. You most likely can. Call a La Leche League leader or a lactation consultant in you area. From what I understand, La Leche League leaders work voluntarily so this is a great option if you don’t have the money to pay someone to come out and help you. And before you start nursing, get informed, learn how to prevent problems and ask any and all questions you might have. That would have saved me the first time around.

Here are some website and contact info:

One of the best websites on breastfeeding, solving problems, etc.: http://www.kellymom.com/

La Leche League website, monthly meeting info, help, contact info, etc.: http://www.llli.org/

Dr. Jack Newman, the superman of breastfeeding, including videos: http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Others:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/

http://www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com/

Breast really is best.

Why I Chose to be a Stay At Home Mom July 30, 2008

This post has been stewing in my head for about a week.  I’ve been trying to get my thoughts and emotions in order so I don’t come off sounding judgemental, crazy or like I’m a 50’s housewife.  I’m not sure that’s going to happen but do know that I’m going into this with good intentions.

 

The timing of this post is actually quite funny.  A long time friend of mine did a post a few days ago about her journey and her feelings on being a stay at home mom.  While this is by no means intended to be a rebuttal, her words did spark some more ideas for this post. Then today in Maclean’s magazine I read a couple articles on topics close to this and again got inspired to write about why I made the decision I did.

 

A little background on me.  As a preteen, I think I would have been considered a little budding feminist.  I got books out from the library on great women of our time, I was all “I don’t need no man!” and so on.  My two younger sisters aspired to be housewives and I thought they were crazy idiots.  (sorry girls!) You see, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a journalist or a travel agent or a lawyer but I knew I wasn’t going to live my life canning fruit and taking kids to the park. 

Flash forward 10 years.  Both my little sisters have more education than I do, both enjoy being part of the work force, both bringing home the bacon.  And me? I’m everything I used to think I’d hate to be and I love it.

I think little by little I started to break down.  I wanted to marry when I was in my late twenties.  But then there was Jordan and I wanted to marry him NOW.  I married at 19. (In retrospect- WHAT?! 19. I see 19 year olds now and just about die when I think I was married at that age.)  Well, now I wanted to be just that young double income couple doing our own thing, jet setting around the world, eating fine foods and staying out late every night.  And then came Abby. I was 21.  From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew my working days were numbered.

 

I think it is so important to stay home with your kids.  I do.  I’ll say it.  I think if you can, you should.  I know that isn’t a popular opinion because most people don’t.  For me, I just can’t possibly imagine anything more important than your children, being there to raise them and being there for each milestone, big or small, throughout their lives.   I know that’s a touchy subject so I’m going to back away from it now and explain why it IS for me.

 

For Jordan and I, the decision for me to stay home was a no -brainer.  We wanted the relationship with our children, we wanted them raised a certain way, with certain morals and values, we wanted them surrounded by love, peace & happiness.  We wanted a listening ear to always be available or a hug and kiss when they are feeling blue.  It’s undisputable, there’s no one out there who loves them, cares for them, cherishes them as much or as deeply as we do as their parents.  So who better for the job?

At first I thought I’d stay home until my youngest was in elementary school and then head back part time. But the more I think about it and the more people I talk to, the less I understand this logic.  I know some parents who work until their kids are in school and then stay home because it’s been said that older kids need their parents more than babies and toddlers (which I disagree with to some extent.  I think they just need them in different ways.)  I can’t imagine applying that logic to say, your marriage.  “Honey, let’s both work our butts off the first few years of our marriage so we can stock pile our money and then we’ll be so happy.”  I don’t think so.  Your marriage will lack that vital foundation and you’ll have missed out on those precious first few years together when the relationship is so fresh and vulnerable and needs to be built upon.  I think the same would happen with parenting.  I can’t imagine not being around much for the first few years of my kids lives and then expect to step in and say “I’m here now.”  There are parts of a relationship with a child that can ONLY be built in those first years.  That’s fact.  Not at all implying that you can’t have a great relationship with your child if you only truly begin in the later years but there are bonds and attachments made very early on that you can’t rewind and redo.

So now, after being a stay at home mom since November 2004, I think this ‘career’ is going to be a long lasting one.  I want to be that mom who can come to school when my kindergartener threw up all over her desk, the mom who always has something tasty at the bake sale, the mom who gets on the school bus with the kids to go on the field trips, the mom who writes goofy notes and puts them in our lunch boxes, the mom who is waiting at home after school with a healthy snack and welcoming arms, ready to listen to all the tales from the day.  Because that’s what my mom was and I think I’m a better person, a better mom, because of it.  I can’t imagine having to had lock the door behind me as I headed out to the school bus, came home to an empty house or had nothing to bring to the bake sale.  I think we very wrongly assume what is important to children.  It isn’t the toys, the fancy vacations or the trendy clothes, it’s the small things that I’ve just mentioned.

 

My mind is just whirling right now. I have so much to say. I have so much information and evidence to back me up.  I know I’m holding back with this post, with fears of offending others mostly.  Anyway …

Want to hear about my day so far? A typical day. 

I woke up and nursed Josie, played with her and fed her breakfast.  She went down for her morning nap about 10 minutes before Abby even woke up for the day.  Abby woke up and wanted me to snuggle her in bed.  We snuggled and visited and laughed for awhile before both of our tummies started grumbling.  We went to the kitchen, me still in my pjs and Abby in a princess costume and ate the banana muffins we made together yesterday, fresh strawberries and cheese.  We both were chilly since I left the windows open the night before to air out the house a bit after some hot humid days.  We ran to the couch, grabbed a blanket and a stack of books.  We ignored the phone as it rang and stayed snuggled under our fuzzy blanket.  Abby had the urge to color and did so as I started in on some laundry and cleaned the kitchen.  Josie woke from her nap and we headed out to London Drugs to pick up a few things.  Josie sat in the front basket, happy as a clam and Abby, held the side of the cart and skipped along the aisles with me, pausing to check out the clearance rack of toys. We met Jordan at home for lunch. While it was cooking in the oven, all four of us went into the backyard to play on the swingset for awhile.  When he left,  Josie went to sleep and Abby is currently sitting up in her room doing sewing cards.  And me? I’m sitting here on the computer trying to think of one good reason that it isn’t ideal for me to be a stay at home mom.  Trying to come up with one reason that this isn’t the best it could get for all 4 of us.

 

The benefits are endless.  You never have to leave the house in the winter. I’m there for my girls and my man 24 hours a day, whenever they need me.  The house is clean.  The cupboards are always overflowing.  The girls are happy, healthy, smiling, bright.  During nap time, I have the time to do other things that I find fullfilling.  After working all day, Jordan comes home to a good meal and a happy, rested, well adjusted kids and a wife who’s pretty sure her life couldn’t get any better.  Everyone’s needs are met. We have time for each other. We never have to wake anyone to rush out the door to daycare in the morning.  We can go with the flow.  We don’t have to squish a day full of housework and together time into a few short hours in the evening. It really really works for us.

I have so enjoyed staying home with my girls and have not once wished I would be working.  Those moments of snuggling your little baby all afternoon, or getting your sick little toddler comfy with a snack, a blanket and a favorite t.v. show, of picking up your excited preschooler from her first day of preschool, watching those first steps, encouraging those first words, placing a crayon in your little one’s hand for the very first time, teaching your daugter to bake cookies – those moments are irreplaceable, you can never request a do-over and they mean the world to me.

I know I am so fortunate that I am able to be a stay at home mom. We are blessed with Jordan’s job and with his willingness to be our bread winner.  With this luxury of staying home, of course comes with sacrifices too.  Our house is modest, we have one vehicle, we aren’t the world travellers we hoped we would be.  But at the end of my life I’m sure I’d regret lack of time spent with my children over an extra few hundred square feet on our house.

That’s why I do what I do.

Forget Style July 19, 2008

There are so many new “developments” in parenting.  I hesitated to use the word developments because to me, development usually implies ‘growing, moving ahead, improving upon’ and I’m not so sure that all this new parenting stuff is really all that wonderful.

One perfect example is parenting styles.  Before there were ‘good parents’ and ‘bad parents’.  And now?  Let me name a few: Attachment Parents, NVC Parents (non-violent communication), Positive Parenting, those who follow the Baby Whisperer, Gentle Discipline, Baby Wise … I could go on and on.  And then there are those that take one of those methods and take it to the extreme- making everyone else who follows those styles look like a bunch of crazies.

When did this start?  I’d honestly like to know when it went from a bunch of parents doing the best they could to winding up at these groups of parents who are afraid to go outside the boundaries of what their books say.

Books are obviously, not a bad thing.  Getting parenting ideas, not a bad thing.  We all have methods that seem to make most sense to us.  Things that we are comfortable doing and that seem to be effective in our households. I just think that somewhere along the line, we as parents have forgotten how to think for ourselves.  I think we spend too much time judging and worrying about being judged that we often don’t listen to our instincts, forget to listen to our babies and children and forget to take our noses out of the books and make our own choices.  I feel very fortunate that I am somehow blessed with an “I really don’t care what you think” gene.  Not that I don’t welcome opinions and solicited advice, but when it really comes down to it, I don’t care if I’m being judged for my parenting choices.  Some of the people closest to me who’s parenting advice I do value think I’m a quack (Hi Mom!) but that’s o.k.  I’m happy with how my girls are turning out and so far, wouldn’t change any of my major parenting choices.

I’ve talked to many moms who’ve asked me what my parenting style is and what I think of other styles.  I can’t even answer that.  I hope that my parenting style is just that – MY parenting style.  And it changes all the time to adapt to our situations, to each individual child. 

If I had to classify myself as something, I think I’d fall under Attachment Parenting. Even that I hestitate saying because of some of the people who’ve driven that to the extreme and made all these good ideas look crazy.  Like baby wearing- I’m all for that (if my kids would have enjoyed it) but do think it’s excessive to have your baby strapped to you 24 hours a day – and yes, I know some moms who do that.  Co-sleeping: great! Breastfeeding on demand: Ideal! Responding to your babies cries: good! Letting your baby set their own schedule – awesome! Those are a few of my viewpoints.

Whenever someone does ask me for parenting tips and asks me to recommend a parenting book, my answer is usually the same.  If you want to read, read a lot of them and then pick what you think will work for you.  Don’t follow any book word for word because I guarantee not everything in a single book will work for you.  The book says your baby needs 4 oz. of formula at this age but seems hungry after? Give them more. Those are the types of things that baffle me.  Not every baby is by-the-book.  We are all going to find something that we like best and we are all going to come across things that make us shudder.  It doesn’t mean that they are wrong, it just means that they aren’t things I would ever feel comfortable doing or are pieces of advice that I would never dream of putting into action.  For me Baby Wise and folks like Dr. Rosemond are definitely things I would never feel comfortable doing, some of it actually gets my blood boiling and I can’t imagine working for my girls if I did.  BUT, some people love it, swear by it even.

This turned into more of a rant.  Oops!

I guess the idea behind this post was supposed to be me encouraging you to be Eclectic Parents, picking and choosing what works for you, being confident enough to bend the rules and wise enough to do what you know is best.

The end.

For Example July 8, 2008

For the month of July, I’ve decided to shift the focus of this blog to parenting. Not written at all like an instruction manual but as a journey.  When I first started this blog there were areas of myself that I wanted to work on.  This is one of them.  I have a few topics I want to cover, but here is the first one:

Abby is weird.  Really weird.  She says weird things. Does weird things. Thinks weird things.  Unfortunately, I can only blame about 0.2% of this on Jordan. She gets it from me.  One day a few weeks back I was wondering how she was learning all these weird things when I realized it was simply from watching me.  I openly admit to teaching her things like “See you on the flip side, Daddy boy!” but wasn’t sure whyt she was calling Josie “Josie Bosie Losie Tosie Boo” or saying “I’m warm as a borm.”  Jordan opened my eyes.  “You say those types of things all the time.” Oh.

So, on a walk one day it dawned on me that that old saying is true “Actions speak louder than words” or “Kids learn by example.”  I realized I definitely had things to work on.

I’m going to stay weird. Nothing wrong with speaking in rhymes or teaching your kids cool lingo, right?

It occured to me that I am mighty good at talking the talk but I need to practice walking the walk. I need to set an example so they can SEE me doing it, not just HEAR me.

Here’s a few things I’ve decided to focus on for this task:

• I’m always emphasizing the importance of caring for the earth, recycling, etc.  To SHOW them I mean it, we have been walking everywhere we can within 2 km. This includes the grocery store, library, swimming pool, movie store, etc.  Great exercise and Abby now knows that using your car when you can walk isn’t good for the earth.
• We all tell our kids to be nice to other people, to do kind things. How often do they actually see us doing that?  I’ve decided to do a random act of kindness every week or two, having Abby & Josie heavily involved.  Yesterday we baked delicious cookies, wrapped them in pretty paper, wrote a note and dropped them in our neighbours mailbox.
• Again, we tell our kids to get moving, eat well, etc.  How often do they see us doing this? Abby has always been a big part of meal preparation but we’ve decided to expand that a bit.  First of all, we’ve been learning about the food groups and how important it is to choose from each group. Second, we are also making special effort to make sure the girls are with us when we run so they can see us taking care of ourselves. 
• Since Abby seems to need a little lesson on respect, that’s another area I’d like to start emphasizing and being a good example of.

Those are the four areas I’m focusing on right now.  What’s something you think you could be a better example of?

Eat it June 19, 2008

That’s what I want to do.  Eat.  Whatever I want, whenever I want.

But, I still want to lose another 10 lbs.

So, it looks like I will unfortunately have to start exercising.  I’m not inactive. I play with the kids, take long walks pushing the stroller, swimming, yard work, etc.  I can’t remember the last time I broke a sweat though.

I have convinced Jordan to start running with me.  I’m actually excited for it! I read a book that outlines a 13 week program, we invested in a double running stroller and we are set to go as soon as I get myself some proper runners.

I’ve wanted to start running for awhile.  I ran a bit in highschool and I attempted to start up again a few years ago and even went out to buy fancy running shoes.  But now with Jordan doing it with me, I really think we’ll be successful.  My excuse was always lack of time or what do we do with the kids but those problems are solved with the double running stroller we got.

I’m pretty much sick of watching what I eat.  I can focus on eating healthy and in moderation and forget about point tracking, calorie counting and so on.   I know this will likely result in slower weight loss but I’m o.k. with that.  Slow and steady wins the race right?   I look forward to getting active, losing a few pounds, feeling healthy and fit.

Wish us luck.