ODE TO THE SLING

Here's the picture that wouldn't load below. {G} I already mentioned how I figured out the sling...I thought I'd share a few more thoughts on this contraption.....I've been assured that my sling is a bit short for me and that when I receive the new one I won't feel quite so "confined". That would be my only complaint.

Other than that, I've seen positives. Stacia loves the sling. She can watch the world from my viewpoint. She gets to travel faster than she can when left to her own devices. I am constantly rubbing her head for her and patting her tush too. I've long noted that Stacia has a storm before she gives up and goes to sleep. During the storm it helps if I hold her tight and she slips off to sleep. The sling makes this a natural. She simply lies her head down and sleeps. She wasn't a very cuddly baby and so this allows me to feel that we are cuddling. I've missed nursing with Stacia but since I'm wearing her a LOT of the day now I feel as close or closer to her than I did my nursing babes. My hands are free while I wear her...this means I can carry more, put on makeup and do my hair while I hold her....it also means that we've had no more scares where my wrists give out as I'm holding her.

Wearing Stacia is SOOO much easier for me and my wrists than trying to carry the infant carrier. It is also so easy to go shopping when wearing her...I have two hands to shop and corrall Zander with...and am never leaving Stacia sitting in a cart while I chase someone else down the aisle...not that that has EVER really happened to me. {vbg}

Thanks to Adrienne for introducing me to slings...and Becky for giving me this one....and Julie for finally helping me to "get" how to put the thing on...still thinking of the barrio mama's of my youth in the Philippines...wish I'd remembered them much earlier.

BTW my arthritis symptoms are gone most days and I attribute that to the new diet and eating tons of pineapple and coconut oil. LOL (4 loaves of bread in the oven and 8 buns rising - want to see if the same recipe will work for both....and this is a NEW recipe....blew the top right off the Bosch).
Had to edit this: not sure if this is a positive or negative...but wearing Stacia allows her to reach up and plant her wide-open-mouthed-wet kisses on the side of my face any time she pleases. {G}

QUICK UPDATE

{picture won't load} The star of the day! Today Stacia finally had her 4 month well baby check – at 7+ months. The PA who saw us was giving me trouble about that and I was telling him the story. Finally he asked “are you the chaplain’s wife?” I said, “yes – one of them – well I mean I’m a wife of one of the chaplains”. He then noted that I need to be meaner with Tri-care. I seem to have a reputation after the thumb thing and the well baby thing. ANYWAY – I told him that if she’d not been doing well I would have insisted on getting her in. He then checked her out. She’s in the 95th percentile for height….may yet be 6 feet tall……and the 75th for weight. She’s fine. He noted that she has a unique shot record. I told him that we’d cleared all that previously with Dr. Carroll.

Not much else to report today. Mike has all but Stacia, Zander and Jared at Mr. Gatti’s for a farewell party. I simply didn’t feel right taking Zander to Gatti’s twice in one week. Jared didn’t want to go. Josiah has to work. Mike needs to get our muffler fixed…which IS under warranty but once again there isn’t the shop here that warranties it…I love moving all the time…think we should quit getting the warranties…this keeps happening with the vehicles. Zander and I made another batch of “healthy cookies” – which can’t be to healthy. {G}

I’m preparing for a Spiritual Gift Seminar that we’ll be having next Tuesday. As always I have about 3x the notes I need….but they are starting to organize themselves. I simply need time on the computer when it is QUIET to get them all into a hand out/test type form.

OH big thank you to Charly, fellow FG mom, who told me that Papa Johns is on the FG program. I didn’t even know we HAD a Papa Johns in town…and I can order ONLINE…which I did. That takes care of Friday night Pizza and a movie….and the revolters will be happy as I ordered their favorite “Hawaiian Pizza” – you know Canadian BACON and pineapple…..I was excited to see that they eve have spinach alfreddo pizza at Papa John’s. It takes small things to excite me these days.

Now – Stacia is napping after her big date. Jared and Zander are playing a computer game…and I’m going to go make some bread and hamburger buns. OH – a couple more things….I’m so thrilled with our RE coordinator – and she’s leaving in May – bummer. She emailed me to ask what we could do for Zander’s class for treats at Sunday School. Is that great or what? I appreciate knowing that she will help me police him at chapel.

I figured this sling thing out when a friend from high school wrote me after reading the blog. Julie is great! She told me to go back to my roots. She told me to picture the little Barrio mama’s with a baby on a hip and a sarong over their shoulder. When I pictured the sling as a sarong it worked the very first time. I’m fast becoming quite adept at this sling thing. There is a lady in town who is making me a pretty one. I got to go pick out the colors and it was fun…not sure it is subdued enough for chapel so I may have to get another one made…but have to find a place to order the sling rings….so far no luck.

The bread is screaming to be made now….still looking for a tortilla press….they don’t carry them any longer at HEB.

SCIENCE FUN!

We are excited about this experiment. We are studying flying creatures in our science book. This has proven to be MUCH more interesting that *I* was expected. The kids begged to try to incubate some eggs when we studied egg development. I had to give this some thought. We’ve tried this once before and got no chicks….but WHAT would we do with the chicks if we got some? I was not sure I wanted the kids to have the educational lesson of incubating an egg and then letting a chick die. Our book recommended links to buy incubators. We chose a small one from Home Training Tools; it came with 4 quail eggs. Quail live in the wild here. IF we get some quail chicks and raise those to the age that they can survive….we can let them go in the country….but our best option is some friends who live out in the country.

Last night we set up the incubator (see pictures below). We discussed the need to keep water in the incubator and to turn the eggs every 12 hours. The eggs come all wrapped p and there was the possibility of two different kinds of quail. We all hoped for the brown speckled eggs, as they take only 17 days to incubate. The drama built as we unwrapped the eggs and discovered 4 brown speckled quail eggs. Now it’s a matter of waiting, and watering and turning.

We’ve started gathering the things we’ll need for the box right after they hatch. We are even now talking about buying a bird cage and we need to do some research on WHAT to feed them as the booklet that came with the incubator just mentions “food” but not what.

All good science experiments begin with an idea from Mom, and know-how from Dad.

Our brown speckled quail eggs
Dad and three youngest scientists

We’ll have to guard the eggs!

Munchin

Stacia discovers she likes to eat the plate best of all! She's like a little puppy these days and chewing on everything!

Zander is sure to join the fun....but he prefers whole wheat "healthy" cookies to munch on!

The BACON Revolt!

There is nothing seriously wrong. It’s simply that after 5 ½ weeks of doing well with drastic changes some of my children staged a mutiny. It began with wanting bagels (which I’m looking to learn to make), then wanting store bought tortillas (which I make), it continued on until it became what we are calling “The Bacon Revolt”. I’ve explained that I am NOT trying to dictate food choices outside of the home. Some things are not good for them but it is their choice what they will eat when I’m not around….BUT in the home I want to keep things healthy. I want every food here to be safe for any family member to eat. This all sort of happened as they began to mournfully haul box after box of “good food” out to the van so that I could deliver it to a friend who needed it more than us (and who says that she doesn’t mind eating junk). I, myself, was shocked when moving the pantry to see how many of our favorites were banned….I’d implemented Feingold but cooking from scratch and hadn’t looked too much at some labels. So….lots and lots of baking things went, cereals, refried beans, etc. I did make some compromises. I bought some garden burger sausage patties….and some turkey bacon. I don’t like the long list of ingredients on either….but maybe it will help. Maybe not. I also told them that if they need sausage etc they should go to IHOP….or that I could have one day a month where I cook whatever they want….

Today was busy making all sorts of things to get in the freezer so that they can “grab” the whole foods. I made a double batch of refried beans…and froze them in individual serving portions. I cooked 5 lbs of hamburger and put it into 2 lb packages for quick meals. I made a banana cake (changed the recipe to have freshly ground flour, butter and honey instead of all purpose flour, shortening and sugar. It turned out good. Then I topped it with strawberries and a dab of cool whip. We had tacos with homemade tortillas (and some bought ones), homemade refried beans, the dessert, salad, cantaloupe and rice. Hey Kelly, I sound like your blog. {vbg} My goal was to have a meal that I could feel “ok” about, that was on the FG program, that the big boys would enjoy too. They ate huge amounts of rice and beans and such….and even big amounts of cake…..I thought the cake was fine, the strawberries and cool whip made it sickening sweet to me.

My goals for tomorrow: update the blog with pictures and such. Do school. Speech and a PAC meeting. Oh – the AETC chaplain is here and so we have a “real dinner” for Mike and me to go to tomorrow. Continuing to make GREAT tasting food that is familiar enough that my boys will join the revolution instead of staging further Bacon Revolts.

WINDS DAY

As Pooh would say, this was a WINDS day. Mike and the boys installed the weather station a couple of weeks ago so we know for a fact that our house was getting wind up to 45 mph. {G} The wind made a very strange sound. What did we do with the windy day? We went to the park and played for a bit of time. Nolan conquered his bike this weekend. He was excited to be able to ride his bike with his friends at the park. I get such a kick out the close friendships that my boys and Adrienne’s boys have formed. Life in TX suddenly is wonderful in their eyes. God is good to have sent friendships in “due time”. Zander begins telling me about 10:30 each morning that he wants to go see his “other brothers”….these would be Caeden, Coby, Jordan and Cian. {G} It was so windy that Janae (petite 2 year old) was blown right off her feet. Stacia slept through it all snug in the sling. Heather, Adrienne and I got to talking homeschool curriculum at the park. I think I may have a Tapestry Tea. I would LOVE to see the DVD and I think I have to have 5 guests. Surely I could find 3 more who are interested if I advertised through our local homeschool group?

We celebrated Zander’s accomplishments at Mr. Gatti’s tonight. Or we went to “The Game” as Zander says. This is a Chuck E Cheese imitation. I was so glad that he totally avoided the mac/cheese (dyes), the pudding (dyes/flavors), jello (dyes/flavors) and dessert pizzas!!! Yippee! He had two pieces of cheese pizza. We added tomato based sauces back in last week….so we’ll see how he does. He had a blast. His favorite game was playing air hockey with Mike.

Just ended the day with finding some subs for items that are out of stock with the co-op. I want to make my own 7 grain blend and needed oat groats and millet. They were out of the 5# bags…so I got 2 28 oz packages of each….surely more money…but I must have my 7 grain mix….I’ve waited long enough. LOL

Now – I’m falling asleep at the keyboard and must call it a day. Oh wait – Cy won’t be home from work for at least 1 ½ hours….

Miscellaneous Monday Type Thoughts

Mondays have gotten so much better around here now that Zander is on Feingold. Thank God for that missing puzzle piece.

A week or so ago we had the smoke/fire microwave popcorn incident. Mike is hoping to be able to fix our microwave. At this point it is out on the back patio. This means that when the kids want to heat up lunch left-overs they carry their plates through the dining room, living room, library and out to the back porch. I’m still not used to seeing the parade of food. Sister Val’s daughter Nikki would certainly say this is “ghetto”. Shoot….I commented over the weekend that the neighbors send wonderful smells of steak through the neighborhood when they cook out – we send the smell of burnt popcorn wafting through the neighborhood. {vbg}

Zander was told yesterday that if he would (hmm no nice way to say this) poop in the toilet we’d take him to Mr. Gatti’s. This is a place he loves to go and we’ve not gone to it for months…it isn’t on Stage One of Feingold. Would you believe he DID it last night? Again this a.m. I guess I don’t have to cook tonight and we’ll see how he handles the pizza sauce. The good thing is that he doesn’t eat much there – he really likes the GAMES – in fact he calls the restaurant “The Game”.

I’ve got bananas and grapes in the dehydrator now….hoping I can eventually get those yummy banana chips (think most of them have a coating on them to crisp them up – and I KNOW that most the brands I’m finding have artificial flavors)….as for the grapes…well they were cheap at Albertsons a couple of weeks ago but they just don’t taste as wonderful as the co-op ones. I ordered another case of fresh ones to eat from the co-op. thinking these might make nice raisins for park day or granola.

The phone keeps ringing today and ARIELLE shocked me by reading Thomas A. Edison – Wizard of Menlo Park and Little House to Nolan. School got done with very little help from me this a.m. This certainly not what I want to do every day but it was nice to see them carry on.