My dad and granddad (whom I call Poppop) grew up drinking raw milk. My dad said he didn't even taste store-bought milk until he was in high school; he remembers it tasting "like water." My Poppop attributes his lack of getting sick to drinking raw milk. Reminiscent of that, I just read two letters to the Weston A. Price Foundation that they published on their website that I thought I'd post here.
Wonderful Campaign
What a wonderful campaign you've embarked upon! It's illegal to buy raw cow's milk here in Canada, as far as I know. I've spoken to farmers who tell me that they would lose their ability to sell milk at all. Farmers here have to sell their milk to the Dairy Board, who then regulates the price and sells it to the consumer. It's illegal to bypass the middle-man.
At any rate, my grandfather had a few simple rules when it came to food:
1. always eat food that remembers where it came from (the minute it visits a factory, food gets amnesia);
2. don't eat anything that won't spoil, and eat it before it does (Twinkies, frankly, frightened him, and he never ate a hot dog in his life);
3. there is a good reason why whole eggs, raw milk, fresh cream, butter, and fresh vegetables are called "wholesome" food. Don't eat man-made "food." And, as much as you can, grow your own.
When he had to have surgery at age 81, the surgeon came out and asked his kids, "There must be a mistake. They have your brother listed here as 81. That's 61, right? That's not a man in his eighties that I just operated on." My 59 year old aunt nearly split a gut laughing, saying "Well, that's my father you have in there." [reminded me of Mr. Tidwell, the lawn man!]
We always had raw milk as children, and none of us had allergies or ear infections. My children, and my siblings' children, have been fed what Grampy called "dead" milk, and they all have allergies, ear infections, etc. I certainly believe that there's a connection.
My dad was so determined that we have raw milk that he "rented" milk bottles from a nearby farmer. Just the bottles, mind you. The milk in them was a gift from the farmer. Totally illegal, but I'm very glad Dad took the chance. I was well into my teens before I had store-bought milk, and my parents say that all three of us turned our noses right up at it.
Good luck on your campaign. I hope you can spread this throughout the world. If people want to buy dead milk, good for them. I would certainly prefer to buy healthy wholesome food for myself and my children.
Mrs. Marie White Ottawa,
Ontario Canada
No More Whole Milk
I work for the child nutrition system in our local school district. The "powers that be" have decided to completely eliminate 2% milk from the menu, offering only 1% milk, nonfat chocolate milk (25 grams sugar) and skim milk. Whole milk is not even offered any more. [The Weston A. Price Foundation recommends drinking whole milk rather than skim and currently campaigns to make raw milk more accessible and/or legal throughout the U.S.]
My son has ADD and has a very difficult time maintaining his weight due to medication. He loves whole milk (at home) and will drink the 2% at school, but has tried 1% and will not drink it at all. He will choose chocolate milk instead, with all the sugar.
Since I also work in the cafeteria, serving kids in the elementary through middle school grades, and am responsible for stocking the milk boxes each day, I know from our milk count that we order seven times as much chocolate milk (700 cartons per day) as we do 1% milk (about 100 per day). When 2% milk was served instead of 1%, we used to order 200 cartons per day and ran out from time to time. Now that we serve mainly 1%, I get constant requests from the kids for the 2%. They do not want the 1% milk and are not "getting used to it" as everyone thinks they will, as evidenced by the drop in sales. Instead, our chocolate milk sales have climbed to about 800-850 per day, 900 on Fridays.
No one here will listen to reason. I also cook so I am familiar with recipes and fat content. If fat content is the real target, why are we selling fish sticks with 23 grams of fat? Pizza with 24 grams of fat? Vegetarian casserole with a whopping 46 grams of fat? Chicken nuggets with 18 grams of fat? Fish sandwich with 30 grams of fat? Cakes, pies and chocolate chip cookies by the hundreds (daily) that are absolutely loaded with fat? I simply cannot see the reasoning behind cutting a couple grams of fat from milk when we serve such high-fat foods along side it. Also, because the children are resisting 1% milk, they are turning to chocolate milk with so much sugar intake every breakfast and lunch.
I see a dangerous skew in vision on behalf of our Nutrition Department, but I cannot get a soul to listen to me. They keep pointing out the US guidelines by failing to reason this out themselves, or to recall how often the US guidelines are revised.
Sarah Klaus
Los Angeles, California
**********
That's just a little window into the things I like to read while I'm nursing. I guess I was thinking about how Miriam drinks raw milk. Unpasteurized, unhomogenized, unprocessed, untreated, unbottled. Just drinks it straight from the source. And thinking about how God designed our bodies to need milk when we're babies and how we can live solely on raw milk for several months. It's pretty amazing.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Honeysuckle
I LOVE the smell of honeysuckle. Right now, I'm having some trouble smelling it (still battling this seasonal allergy funk), but it's blooming all around my house. When we moved in to our house three years ago, I remember thanking God for all the honeysuckle. It wasn't there when we signed the contract. It was a gift I discovered once we were settled in. Today I'm thankful for the honeysuckle and feeling quite content in our little country house in the middle of the city.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Playgroup Pics
Mr. Tidwell
Mr. Tidwell push mows the lot adjacent to ours. He will be 93 years old this month. Yes, 93. Wendy's husband Chris met him last year and they saw him again this year for the first time last week. She wrote a beautiful post about him HERE.
Note on Reading
I started reading The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind today. It's like having a financial sozo.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Weston A. Price Foundation--on the nutritional fringe
Whenever I want to delve a little deeper into research about nutrition, I often read articles from The Weston A. Price Foundation. Sometimes, I'm so challenged, that I have to put it down for a while, let it sink in, process the new information over a period of days or weeks or months, then go back and read it again. Oftentimes, things that initially challenge me will eventually become the things that resonate with me. In a nutshell, their motto is "Eat only what your great-grandparents would have eaten."
Here are The Weston A. Price Foundation "Principles of Healthy Diets":
Dietary Guidelines
1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Eat beef, lamb, game, organ meats, poultry and eggs from pasture-fed animals.
3. Eat wild fish (not farm-raised) and shellfish from unpolluted waters.
4. Eat full-fat milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as raw milk, whole yogurt, kefir, cultured butter, whole raw cheeses and fresh and sour cream. (Imported cheeses that say "milk" or "fresh milk" on the label are raw.)
5. Use animal fats, especially butter, liberally.
6. Use traditional vegetable oils only--extra virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, small amounts of expeller-expressed flax oil, and the tropical oils--coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
7. Take cod liver oil regularly to provide at least 10,000 IU vitamin A and 1,000 IU vitamin D per day.
8. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables--preferably organic--in salads and soups, or lightly steamed with butter.
9. Use whole grains, legumes and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients.
10. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.
11. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb and fish and use liberally in soups, stews, gravies and sauces.
12. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
13. Use unrefined salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
14. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of expeller-expressed flax oil.
15. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, date sugar, dehydrated cane sugar juice (sold as Rapadura) and stevia powder.
16. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
17. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
18. Use only natural, food-based supplements.
19. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
20. Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.
Dietary Dangers
1. Do not eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc. Read labels!
2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices.
3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
5. Avoid all refined liquid vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sautéing or baking.
7. Avoid foods fried in polyunsaturated oils or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
8. Do not practice veganism. Animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
9. Avoid products containing protein powders as they usually contain carcinogens formed during processing; and consumption of protein without the cofactors occurring in nature can lead to deficiencies, especially of vitamin A.
10. Avoid processed, pasteurized milk; do not consume ultrapasteurized milk products, lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
11. Avoid factory-farmed eggs, meats and fish.
12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage.
13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed and irradiated fruits and vegetables. Avoid genetically modified foods (found in most soy, canola and corn products).
15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and most commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not indicated on the label.
16. Individuals sensitive to caffeine and related substances should avoid coffee, tea and chocolate.
17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or deodorants containing aluminum.
18. Do not drink fluoridated water.
19. Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them. [Note from Lori: this includes anything that says it's "enriched."]
20. Avoid distilled liquors.
21. Do not use a microwave oven.
See what I mean? There's so much counter-cultural information here. At some point in my life, I have consumed everything in their list of dietary dangers. Everything. The only thing I haven't done in this list is practice veganism, which is a strict form of vegetarianism that eliminates all animal products from the diet--no eggs, milk, cheese, etc. My midwife and her husband are Seventh-Day Adventist and vegan. They're both the picture of health. So I think it's possible to be vegan or a raw-foodist and be healthy--if you're whole-heartedly devoted to the matter and feel led by God to do so, but I don't think the average American can sustain either lifestyle for long or do it in a healthy way.
Some friends of ours decided to go 100% raw a few years ago. Recently, they both started losing their teeth. These beautiful, healthy, radiant women both said that in the first year, they felt amazing. In the second year, they started feeling some of the negative effects of consuming only raw foods. A few years into it, their teeth started falling out, and they reconsidered. Now they're pretty much following the guidelines outlined by the Weston A. Price foundation; however, they avoid pork, knowing that we're no longer under the law, but understanding that God, in his infinite wisdom, set up guidelines (including those related to food) to benefit and prosper his people.
When I read this stuff, I come to terms with the fact that I eat a lot of crap. At the same time, I'm constantly incorporating more and more whole, unprocessed foods. Avoiding the highly processed stuff has become a lot easier over time. When I can make a connection in my mind about how I'll feel if I eat junk, consuming it becomes less of a temptation.
Are you ready for more counter-cultural information? These paragraphs were taken from the article "Ancient Dietary Wisdom for Tomorrow's Children" by Sally Fallon, President of The Weston A. Price Foundation.
"When polyunsaturated oils are hardened to make margarine and shortening by a process called hydrogenation, they deliver a double whammy of increased cancer, reproductive problems, learning disabilities and growth problems in children.
"The vital research of Weston Price remains largely forgotten because the importance of his findings, if recognized by the general populace, would bring down America's largest industry--food processing and its three supporting pillars--refined sweeteners, white flour and vegetable oils. Representatives of this industry have worked behind the scenes to erect the huge edifice of the "lipid hypothesis"--the untenable theory that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease and cancer. All one has to do is look at the statistics to know that it isn't true. Butter consumption at the turn of the century was eighteen pounds per person per year, and the use of vegetable oils almost nonexistent, yet cancer and heart disease were rare. Today butter consumption hovers just above four pounds per person per year while vegetable oil consumption has soared--and cancer and heart disease are endemic.
"What the research really shows is that both refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils cause imbalances in the blood and at the cellular level that lead to an increased tendency to form blood clots, leading to myocardial infarction. This kind of heart disease was virtually unknown in America in 1900. Today it has reached epidemic levels. Atherosclerosis, or the buildup of hardened plague in the artery walls, cannot be blamed on saturated fats or cholesterol. Very little of the material in this plaque is cholesterol, and a 1994 study appearing in the Lancet showed that almost three quarters of the fat in artery clogs is unsaturated. The "artery clogging" fats are not animal fats but vegetable oils.
"Built into the whole cloth of the lipid hypothesis is the postulate that the traditional foods of our ancestors--the butter, cream, eggs, liver, meat and fish eggs that Price recognized were necessary to produce "splendid physical development"--are bad for us. A number of stratagems have served to imbed this notion in the consciousness of the people, not the least of which was the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), during which your tax dollars paid for a packet of "information" on cholesterol and heart disease to be sent to every physician in America. As the American Pharmaceutical Association served on the coordinating committee of this massive program, it is not surprising that the packet instructed physicians on ways to test serum cholesterol levels, and what drugs to prescribe for patients whose cholesterol levels put them in the "at risk" category--defined arbitrarily as anyone over 200 mg/dl, the vast majority of the adult population. Physicians received instruction on the "prudent diet," low in saturated fat and cholesterol, for "at risk" Americans, even though studies indicated that such diets did not offer any significant protection against heart disease. They did, however, increase the risk of death from cancer, intestinal diseases, accidents, suicide and stroke. A specific recommendation contained in the NCEP information packet was the replacement of butter with margarine . . .
"For a future of healthy children--for any future at all--we must turn our backs on the dietary advice of sophisticated medical orthodoxy and return to the food wisdom of our so-called primitive ancestors, choosing traditional whole foods that are organically grown, humanely raised, minimally processed and above all not shorn of their vital lipid component."
The Weston A. Price Foundation was co-founded in 1999 by Sally Fallon and Mary G Enig, PhD. What I like about Enig is that she is the same age as my grandmother, her organization doesn't accept monetary donations from the dairy or meat industries, she has been researching trans fats since 1977, and she's "an expert of international renown in the field of lipid biochemistry." Click HERE to read an interview with her about the dangers of trans fats. The continuation of her interview is HERE.
Here is the summary of their lengthy paper entitled "The Skinny on Fats":
"In summary, our choice of fats and oils is one of extreme importance. Most people, especially infants and growing children, benefit from more fat in the diet rather than less. But the fats we eat must be chosen with care. Avoid all processed foods containing newfangled hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated oils. Instead, use traditional vegetable oils like extra virgin olive oil and small amounts of unrefined flax seed oil. Acquaint yourself with the merits of coconut oil for baking and with animal fats for occasional frying. Eat egg yolks and other animal fats with the proteins to which they are attached. And, finally, use as much good quality butter as you like, with the happy assurance that it is a wholesome—indeed, an essential—food for you and your whole family.
"Organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, and expeller-expressed flax oil in opaque containers are available in health food stores and gourmet markets. Edible coconut oil can be found in Indian or Caribbean markets."
I don't know what my kids would do without real butter and homemade bread (Judah asks for "butter with bread" not "bread with butter"). James has said for years that real butter is a gift from God. I can remember tasting it for the first time on popcorn (after eating margarine for years). I never wanted to eat the fake stuff again. We're butter lovers around here. And omnivores. And we love to eat!
Here are The Weston A. Price Foundation "Principles of Healthy Diets":
Dietary Guidelines
1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Eat beef, lamb, game, organ meats, poultry and eggs from pasture-fed animals.
3. Eat wild fish (not farm-raised) and shellfish from unpolluted waters.
4. Eat full-fat milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as raw milk, whole yogurt, kefir, cultured butter, whole raw cheeses and fresh and sour cream. (Imported cheeses that say "milk" or "fresh milk" on the label are raw.)
5. Use animal fats, especially butter, liberally.
6. Use traditional vegetable oils only--extra virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, small amounts of expeller-expressed flax oil, and the tropical oils--coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
7. Take cod liver oil regularly to provide at least 10,000 IU vitamin A and 1,000 IU vitamin D per day.
8. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables--preferably organic--in salads and soups, or lightly steamed with butter.
9. Use whole grains, legumes and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients.
10. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.
11. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb and fish and use liberally in soups, stews, gravies and sauces.
12. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
13. Use unrefined salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
14. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of expeller-expressed flax oil.
15. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, date sugar, dehydrated cane sugar juice (sold as Rapadura) and stevia powder.
16. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
17. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
18. Use only natural, food-based supplements.
19. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
20. Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.
Dietary Dangers
1. Do not eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc. Read labels!
2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices.
3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
5. Avoid all refined liquid vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sautéing or baking.
7. Avoid foods fried in polyunsaturated oils or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
8. Do not practice veganism. Animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
9. Avoid products containing protein powders as they usually contain carcinogens formed during processing; and consumption of protein without the cofactors occurring in nature can lead to deficiencies, especially of vitamin A.
10. Avoid processed, pasteurized milk; do not consume ultrapasteurized milk products, lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
11. Avoid factory-farmed eggs, meats and fish.
12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage.
13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed and irradiated fruits and vegetables. Avoid genetically modified foods (found in most soy, canola and corn products).
15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and most commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not indicated on the label.
16. Individuals sensitive to caffeine and related substances should avoid coffee, tea and chocolate.
17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or deodorants containing aluminum.
18. Do not drink fluoridated water.
19. Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them. [Note from Lori: this includes anything that says it's "enriched."]
20. Avoid distilled liquors.
21. Do not use a microwave oven.
See what I mean? There's so much counter-cultural information here. At some point in my life, I have consumed everything in their list of dietary dangers. Everything. The only thing I haven't done in this list is practice veganism, which is a strict form of vegetarianism that eliminates all animal products from the diet--no eggs, milk, cheese, etc. My midwife and her husband are Seventh-Day Adventist and vegan. They're both the picture of health. So I think it's possible to be vegan or a raw-foodist and be healthy--if you're whole-heartedly devoted to the matter and feel led by God to do so, but I don't think the average American can sustain either lifestyle for long or do it in a healthy way.
Some friends of ours decided to go 100% raw a few years ago. Recently, they both started losing their teeth. These beautiful, healthy, radiant women both said that in the first year, they felt amazing. In the second year, they started feeling some of the negative effects of consuming only raw foods. A few years into it, their teeth started falling out, and they reconsidered. Now they're pretty much following the guidelines outlined by the Weston A. Price foundation; however, they avoid pork, knowing that we're no longer under the law, but understanding that God, in his infinite wisdom, set up guidelines (including those related to food) to benefit and prosper his people.
When I read this stuff, I come to terms with the fact that I eat a lot of crap. At the same time, I'm constantly incorporating more and more whole, unprocessed foods. Avoiding the highly processed stuff has become a lot easier over time. When I can make a connection in my mind about how I'll feel if I eat junk, consuming it becomes less of a temptation.
Are you ready for more counter-cultural information? These paragraphs were taken from the article "Ancient Dietary Wisdom for Tomorrow's Children" by Sally Fallon, President of The Weston A. Price Foundation.
"When polyunsaturated oils are hardened to make margarine and shortening by a process called hydrogenation, they deliver a double whammy of increased cancer, reproductive problems, learning disabilities and growth problems in children.
"The vital research of Weston Price remains largely forgotten because the importance of his findings, if recognized by the general populace, would bring down America's largest industry--food processing and its three supporting pillars--refined sweeteners, white flour and vegetable oils. Representatives of this industry have worked behind the scenes to erect the huge edifice of the "lipid hypothesis"--the untenable theory that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease and cancer. All one has to do is look at the statistics to know that it isn't true. Butter consumption at the turn of the century was eighteen pounds per person per year, and the use of vegetable oils almost nonexistent, yet cancer and heart disease were rare. Today butter consumption hovers just above four pounds per person per year while vegetable oil consumption has soared--and cancer and heart disease are endemic.
"What the research really shows is that both refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils cause imbalances in the blood and at the cellular level that lead to an increased tendency to form blood clots, leading to myocardial infarction. This kind of heart disease was virtually unknown in America in 1900. Today it has reached epidemic levels. Atherosclerosis, or the buildup of hardened plague in the artery walls, cannot be blamed on saturated fats or cholesterol. Very little of the material in this plaque is cholesterol, and a 1994 study appearing in the Lancet showed that almost three quarters of the fat in artery clogs is unsaturated. The "artery clogging" fats are not animal fats but vegetable oils.
"Built into the whole cloth of the lipid hypothesis is the postulate that the traditional foods of our ancestors--the butter, cream, eggs, liver, meat and fish eggs that Price recognized were necessary to produce "splendid physical development"--are bad for us. A number of stratagems have served to imbed this notion in the consciousness of the people, not the least of which was the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), during which your tax dollars paid for a packet of "information" on cholesterol and heart disease to be sent to every physician in America. As the American Pharmaceutical Association served on the coordinating committee of this massive program, it is not surprising that the packet instructed physicians on ways to test serum cholesterol levels, and what drugs to prescribe for patients whose cholesterol levels put them in the "at risk" category--defined arbitrarily as anyone over 200 mg/dl, the vast majority of the adult population. Physicians received instruction on the "prudent diet," low in saturated fat and cholesterol, for "at risk" Americans, even though studies indicated that such diets did not offer any significant protection against heart disease. They did, however, increase the risk of death from cancer, intestinal diseases, accidents, suicide and stroke. A specific recommendation contained in the NCEP information packet was the replacement of butter with margarine . . .
"For a future of healthy children--for any future at all--we must turn our backs on the dietary advice of sophisticated medical orthodoxy and return to the food wisdom of our so-called primitive ancestors, choosing traditional whole foods that are organically grown, humanely raised, minimally processed and above all not shorn of their vital lipid component."
The Weston A. Price Foundation was co-founded in 1999 by Sally Fallon and Mary G Enig, PhD. What I like about Enig is that she is the same age as my grandmother, her organization doesn't accept monetary donations from the dairy or meat industries, she has been researching trans fats since 1977, and she's "an expert of international renown in the field of lipid biochemistry." Click HERE to read an interview with her about the dangers of trans fats. The continuation of her interview is HERE.
Here is the summary of their lengthy paper entitled "The Skinny on Fats":
"In summary, our choice of fats and oils is one of extreme importance. Most people, especially infants and growing children, benefit from more fat in the diet rather than less. But the fats we eat must be chosen with care. Avoid all processed foods containing newfangled hydrogenated fats and polyunsaturated oils. Instead, use traditional vegetable oils like extra virgin olive oil and small amounts of unrefined flax seed oil. Acquaint yourself with the merits of coconut oil for baking and with animal fats for occasional frying. Eat egg yolks and other animal fats with the proteins to which they are attached. And, finally, use as much good quality butter as you like, with the happy assurance that it is a wholesome—indeed, an essential—food for you and your whole family.
"Organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, and expeller-expressed flax oil in opaque containers are available in health food stores and gourmet markets. Edible coconut oil can be found in Indian or Caribbean markets."
I don't know what my kids would do without real butter and homemade bread (Judah asks for "butter with bread" not "bread with butter"). James has said for years that real butter is a gift from God. I can remember tasting it for the first time on popcorn (after eating margarine for years). I never wanted to eat the fake stuff again. We're butter lovers around here. And omnivores. And we love to eat!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Smoothies
I salvaged my morning smoothie today. After I added romaine (which had been in the fridge for a week), it tasted pretty bitter. So I added about a cup of frozen blueberries. Not only did the addition eliminate the bitter taste, but it also changed it to a pretty purple color.
Mango usually helps tone down the bitterness, but I didn't add mango this morning. MH isn't crazy about mango, and I really wanted him to go to work with a smoothie. He's also more likely to drink them without the greens, so I poured his before adding my greens.
I know, I could have just added mango after I poured his, but I'm really trying to get out of my smoothie rut. I've been making the same basic combination for about two weeks now. It's time to branch out again.
I was thinking this morning about how I tried lots of different smoothie recipes before I ever started adding greens. I frequented Smoothie King and Freshens Smoothie joints, checked out books from the library, and surfed the Internet for recipes until I finally started figuring out which combinations were my favorites.
OK, now my kids are begging for frozen blueberries. Judah's hands are purple and cold, and Miriam has a little purple mustache.
Mango usually helps tone down the bitterness, but I didn't add mango this morning. MH isn't crazy about mango, and I really wanted him to go to work with a smoothie. He's also more likely to drink them without the greens, so I poured his before adding my greens.
I know, I could have just added mango after I poured his, but I'm really trying to get out of my smoothie rut. I've been making the same basic combination for about two weeks now. It's time to branch out again.
I was thinking this morning about how I tried lots of different smoothie recipes before I ever started adding greens. I frequented Smoothie King and Freshens Smoothie joints, checked out books from the library, and surfed the Internet for recipes until I finally started figuring out which combinations were my favorites.
OK, now my kids are begging for frozen blueberries. Judah's hands are purple and cold, and Miriam has a little purple mustache.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Neighborhood Contrasts
Last Saturday, I drove through Belle Meade (one of the more beautiful areas of Nashville) and was struck by the number of people out walking, jogging, and running. I thought, "I wonder what it would look like if people in Tiff's neighborhood (the inner city projects) were doing the same thing." I was struck by the contrast.
I thought of all the successful people I know or have heard of who excercise regularly. I wondered what kind of connection there might be to exercise and success. I'm sure there's plenty written about it (that I haven't read yet), but I thought of things like how people who get out and exercise--especially in the fresh air--have time to think and/or pray while they're out. They're probably less prone to depression. They're taking time to take care of themselves, which enables them to take care of their families well.
At lunch last Sunday, I shared this observation with my friend Bob Anderson who said I should read the book The Millionaire Mind. It was recommended a few years ago to our fellowship by Brian Smallwood, who was then the senior leader at Grace Center. He served as the pastor for seven years without taking a salary since he owns his own (very successful) business.
Just a little food for thought. Since it usually takes people at least 3 to 4 times to hear about something before it becomes part of their reality, I'm sure this is the beginning of something else to be excited about for me.
I thought of all the successful people I know or have heard of who excercise regularly. I wondered what kind of connection there might be to exercise and success. I'm sure there's plenty written about it (that I haven't read yet), but I thought of things like how people who get out and exercise--especially in the fresh air--have time to think and/or pray while they're out. They're probably less prone to depression. They're taking time to take care of themselves, which enables them to take care of their families well.
At lunch last Sunday, I shared this observation with my friend Bob Anderson who said I should read the book The Millionaire Mind. It was recommended a few years ago to our fellowship by Brian Smallwood, who was then the senior leader at Grace Center. He served as the pastor for seven years without taking a salary since he owns his own (very successful) business.
Just a little food for thought. Since it usually takes people at least 3 to 4 times to hear about something before it becomes part of their reality, I'm sure this is the beginning of something else to be excited about for me.
Pear and Pollen
Ever since a friend joked about having me post my smoothie recipes every day, I've been thinking about posting about how I nearly ruined one recently and then how I salvaged it.
I added pear. I know, pear is delightful. It's sweet, juicy, mild, soft . . . delicious in salads . . . the seemingly perfect addition to a morning smoothie. Yuck. I almost couldn't drink it. Maybe it was the combination of pear with mango, oranges, strawberries, and banana. I don't think so, though. I tried a pear smoothie once in a little coffeeshop, and it was terrible, too. So I guess I don't like pear in my smoothies.
A couple years ago, my husband and I happened upon a sweet little cafe in the Smoky Mountains (quite a miracle, if you've ever been there) called The Pear Tree. We dined on pear mint soup and delicious salad (with goat cheese, pecans, and pear I think). Then, the owner gave us the recipe for the soup. MH has made it several times. Since I have a little mint plant on my windowsill, I decided to throw in a handful of mint and . . . as a result . . . salvaged my smoothie.
My favorite smoothie "ice" includes frozen strawberries and frozen bananas. We get big bags of strawberries from Costco ($1.48 lb. I think) and buy conventional bananas or organic ones if they're on sale. We peel the bananas when they're over-ripe, then freeze them in a big freezer bag. They peel away from each other and break in half easily even when frozen.
I made some frozen orange juice last week by adding a cup of crushed ice to two or three oranges. Mmmmmmm. Delicious! It was also good when I added a mango or an apple (makes it a tad sweeter and gives it a little variety). After writing this I made some frozen OJ w/ pineapple. Yum.
My favorite smoothie recipe (makes approx. 48 oz.):
a fresh mango
one or two fresh oranges
7 or 8 frozen strawberries
1 or 2 frozen bananas
(occasionally I'll add pineapple if we have it)
a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach
variations:
frozen mango
orange juice
fresh strawberries
fresh banana
kale or romaine
Try it without the greens first to see if you like it. Then add a little (maybe a small handful) of greens. Try it again. If your greens make it taste bitter, add some local honey or agave nectar. The main reason green smoothies work so well for us is that they taste delicious!
I've been adding local honey for the past two days even though I think it's plenty sweet because of an awesome story my girlfriend wrote about her husband overcoming his allergies by drinking a green smoothie every morning sweetened with local honey. I'm over here sneezing like crazy and trying not to scratch my eyes out. Traditionally, I haven't been sensitive to the changing of seasons--except to feel nostalgic at the onset of autumn.
My front porch and van are completely covered in a dusting of green-yellow pollen. Judah keeps telling me it's snowing because the budding trees are losing their white petals in the wind. My nose and eyes are suffering. Advice? Remedies? Help!
I added pear. I know, pear is delightful. It's sweet, juicy, mild, soft . . . delicious in salads . . . the seemingly perfect addition to a morning smoothie. Yuck. I almost couldn't drink it. Maybe it was the combination of pear with mango, oranges, strawberries, and banana. I don't think so, though. I tried a pear smoothie once in a little coffeeshop, and it was terrible, too. So I guess I don't like pear in my smoothies.
A couple years ago, my husband and I happened upon a sweet little cafe in the Smoky Mountains (quite a miracle, if you've ever been there) called The Pear Tree. We dined on pear mint soup and delicious salad (with goat cheese, pecans, and pear I think). Then, the owner gave us the recipe for the soup. MH has made it several times. Since I have a little mint plant on my windowsill, I decided to throw in a handful of mint and . . . as a result . . . salvaged my smoothie.
My favorite smoothie "ice" includes frozen strawberries and frozen bananas. We get big bags of strawberries from Costco ($1.48 lb. I think) and buy conventional bananas or organic ones if they're on sale. We peel the bananas when they're over-ripe, then freeze them in a big freezer bag. They peel away from each other and break in half easily even when frozen.
I made some frozen orange juice last week by adding a cup of crushed ice to two or three oranges. Mmmmmmm. Delicious! It was also good when I added a mango or an apple (makes it a tad sweeter and gives it a little variety). After writing this I made some frozen OJ w/ pineapple. Yum.
My favorite smoothie recipe (makes approx. 48 oz.):
a fresh mango
one or two fresh oranges
7 or 8 frozen strawberries
1 or 2 frozen bananas
(occasionally I'll add pineapple if we have it)
a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach
variations:
frozen mango
orange juice
fresh strawberries
fresh banana
kale or romaine
Try it without the greens first to see if you like it. Then add a little (maybe a small handful) of greens. Try it again. If your greens make it taste bitter, add some local honey or agave nectar. The main reason green smoothies work so well for us is that they taste delicious!
I've been adding local honey for the past two days even though I think it's plenty sweet because of an awesome story my girlfriend wrote about her husband overcoming his allergies by drinking a green smoothie every morning sweetened with local honey. I'm over here sneezing like crazy and trying not to scratch my eyes out. Traditionally, I haven't been sensitive to the changing of seasons--except to feel nostalgic at the onset of autumn.
My front porch and van are completely covered in a dusting of green-yellow pollen. Judah keeps telling me it's snowing because the budding trees are losing their white petals in the wind. My nose and eyes are suffering. Advice? Remedies? Help!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Baby Mira, nearly 16 months old now.
Our little princess started nodding for "yes," when we ask her questions and she wants to respond affirmatively. It's quite a sight. She does it several times, almost slinging her head down and back, down and back, down and back.
She has also started responded to my, "Eh Eh Eh," which is the sound I used to use to keep my dogs from getting into stuff. It works well with her. Today, she started to walk behind the van into the parking lot, I made the sound, and she turned around and walked back to me.
I wish I could describe how excited she gets when she sees me. When we're driving somewhere, and I get out to open her door, she acts as if she hasn't seen me all day. She smiles and wiggles in her seat, just itching for me to get her out. She's so precious!
Occasionally, in the morning, I'll open her bedroom door and see her lying in her crib, just babbling away. When she finally notices me, she scrambles to her feet as fast as she can, leans against the crib, and stands with her arms raised, giving me me the biggest baby girl grin I've ever seen.
I often think about how Judah, who tends to be more laid-back, resembles his Daddy in temperament, and how Miriam is definitely the daughter of Her Royal Excitedness.
Today she sounded as if she said "socks." That's what she was holding, and that's the sound she made. Judah's first intelligible word was "ball."
The sound she makes when she wants something is usually, "Shuh Shuh." Her happy sound is "Baah Bah!" Her sad sound is "Muh Muh." And sometimes she'll just babble, "Da da da da da." I love her little voice.
I also love walking ahead of her, turning around, crouching down, and having her pick up her pace and lean into me for a big hug. The sounds she makes are hilarious, and we giggle before moving on.
For the past two days, after she pats me on the chest to let me know that she wants to nurse, I lay her down, getting her into position, and she says, "Agh!" and grins. What a little crack-up. I think she has quite a sense of humor for being not quite 16 months old.
Have I mentioned how much I love that little girl?
I keep meaning to write down our bedtime routine (just for my own memory):
One last drink of milk from Mommy.
Goodnights and kisses and hugs to the boys.
Read one more book on the floor of her room.
Pick up toys, get room ready (close windows, drapes, closet).
Get on pajamas and a new diaper.
Brush teeth.
Walk into her room while holding her and turn off the light.
Stand by her crib while she lays her head on my chest and I sing to her:
Are you sleepy, are you sleepy, Mira Todd, Mira Todd
I love you so much, bitty bitty baby,
Time to rest. Time to rest.
I sing this two or three times, then pray:
Thank you, God, for Miriam. Bless her sleep. Bless her dreams.
I pray that she would sleep peacefully all through the night,
and wake up feeling happy and refreshed in the morning.
Then I pray specific things about her destiny, her (future) husband, and our family.
I've recently been praying "The Lord's Prayer" next.
Then, I sing our little song once more, and lay her down.
She rolls over and goes right to sleep.
Precious, precious, beautiful girl. I love you.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Pictures Galore
James returned home tonight from a trip to Austin (after three LONG days), so I had a little time to blog and sort through pictures once the kids finally went to sleep. As a result, I have finally updated our Picasa web album with a ridiculous number of recent photos and a couple videos of the kids. If you're interested, you can check them out here: http://picasaweb.google.com/herroyalexcitedness.
She cracks me up!
She's just started saying "Uh Oh." It makes me laugh out loud nearly every time. When I laugh, she laughs, then she says it again, and again, and again. What a little stinker. I wish I could put her on "pause" and just live here a little while longer. Her joy and excitement and sense of humor (not to mention all the faces she makes!) make all the difficult stuff worthwhile.
Imagine They're Italian
Somehow, I now have this urge to watch the movie Throw Mama from the Train.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Bound4Life
I just joined the new Nashville chapter of Bound4Life and couldn't resist sharing the e-mail I got today. I'd love to have you join me! Here is the e-mail from Gloria Greenman, who started the Nashville chapter along with Mark Woodward:
Bound 4 Life is a grassroots prayer mobilization movement targeting the ending of abortion, the rising up of a massive adoption movement, and reformation of government and society through spiritual awakening! Basically, it's a bunch of people who are passionate about seeing abortion end in this nation and seeing God pour out revival and an awesome adoption movement, getting together and crying out to God for these things.
Some of you may have seen pictures of, or experienced at The Call, people with red tape that has LIFE written on it over their mouths. The LIFE tape is worn during meetings that are called Silent Sieges. A Silent Siege is just this- wall of people standing in the gap with intercession for our nation. During a Silent Siege LIFE tape is worn over the mouth of those people who are standing on behalf of the nation and the unborn and silently interceding for mercy, the end of abortion, the increase in adoption, and revival. When LIFE tape being placed over the mouth is a physical action taken to identify with the screams of the unborn and those who have no voice. The sieges are not a protest but a silent prayer meeting. It is making an appeal to the Judge of the whole earth and asking Him for speedy justice to be released. It is an exciting time of being spiritually proactive in this fight!
The other side of Bound 4 Life is corporate prayer meetings at which people will come together to pray, worship and cry out for revival and the end of abortion. These times can be intense and God is sure to show up in amazing ways!
Both Mark Woodward and I [Gloria Greenman] have an intense passion for Bound 4 Life and have started a chapter here in Nashville. We also desire to find a way to mobilize people in a compassionate movement that connects those involved in abortion with ministries that provide other alternatives and the unconditional, loving heart of God. The Nashville chapter is still fairly young and we are looking for people who have a desire to join this awesome history changing movement! If you want to know more and/or be on the e-mailing list for events and prayer meetings please contact me at gideoncompanynashville@gmail.com or 615-775-0033.
There is a huge nation wide event coming up on Saturday, April 26, called The Mercy Seat. The heart of this Bound 4 Life event is that there would be as many people at as many supreme courts across the nation silently sieging at the same time on the same day. It will take place from 9am-4pm on the 26th. This means that for 8 hours thousands of people will be standing in the gap for our nation. Bound 4 Life's hope is that there would be 10,000 gathered across the nation fasting and praying on this day. The numbers are slowly but surely growing. The heart of The Mercy Seat is that people would cry out for mercy on our nation over the blood guilt of 50,000,000 babies that have been aborted since 1973. Someone had a vision in which there was a 3rd seat on the supreme court and it was the Mercy Seat of heaven! People will be crying out for the blood of Jesus to cover the sins of this nation with mercy. All who are gathered will be crying out for the ending of abortion, the rising of an adoption movement to take its place, and an outpouring of revival and change in this nation.
Right now we are currently in the beginnings of a 21 day fast that started on April 5th. We are praying for open doors for new amendments that are being processed in South Dakota and Colorado that will change abortion in those states, we are praying about The Mercy Seat, and that God would move peoples hearts to join this awesome rising army of passionate intercessors.
Here in Nashville, specifically, we are asking God for strategy on how to get the word out about our new Bound 4 Life chapter and that God would align us with the right people who want to partner with us and open doors as we move forward. Also, we are in process of looking for more of a neutral and central location other than my home which is south of Nashville. Also, we have recently found out that The Mercy Seat is happening on the same day as the Music City Marathon here in Nashville which means there will be thousands of people already downtown to witness what God is doing at the supreme court! We are asking that God would move on people's hearts as they pass by and that He would pour himself out in a mighty way!
--
Gloria Greenman
Nashville Bound 4 Life
615-775-0033
gideoncompanynashville@gmail.com
bound4life.com
Bound 4 Life is a grassroots prayer mobilization movement targeting the ending of abortion, the rising up of a massive adoption movement, and reformation of government and society through spiritual awakening! Basically, it's a bunch of people who are passionate about seeing abortion end in this nation and seeing God pour out revival and an awesome adoption movement, getting together and crying out to God for these things.
Some of you may have seen pictures of, or experienced at The Call, people with red tape that has LIFE written on it over their mouths. The LIFE tape is worn during meetings that are called Silent Sieges. A Silent Siege is just this- wall of people standing in the gap with intercession for our nation. During a Silent Siege LIFE tape is worn over the mouth of those people who are standing on behalf of the nation and the unborn and silently interceding for mercy, the end of abortion, the increase in adoption, and revival. When LIFE tape being placed over the mouth is a physical action taken to identify with the screams of the unborn and those who have no voice. The sieges are not a protest but a silent prayer meeting. It is making an appeal to the Judge of the whole earth and asking Him for speedy justice to be released. It is an exciting time of being spiritually proactive in this fight!
The other side of Bound 4 Life is corporate prayer meetings at which people will come together to pray, worship and cry out for revival and the end of abortion. These times can be intense and God is sure to show up in amazing ways!
Both Mark Woodward and I [Gloria Greenman] have an intense passion for Bound 4 Life and have started a chapter here in Nashville. We also desire to find a way to mobilize people in a compassionate movement that connects those involved in abortion with ministries that provide other alternatives and the unconditional, loving heart of God. The Nashville chapter is still fairly young and we are looking for people who have a desire to join this awesome history changing movement! If you want to know more and/or be on the e-mailing list for events and prayer meetings please contact me at gideoncompanynashville@gmail.com or 615-775-0033.
There is a huge nation wide event coming up on Saturday, April 26, called The Mercy Seat. The heart of this Bound 4 Life event is that there would be as many people at as many supreme courts across the nation silently sieging at the same time on the same day. It will take place from 9am-4pm on the 26th. This means that for 8 hours thousands of people will be standing in the gap for our nation. Bound 4 Life's hope is that there would be 10,000 gathered across the nation fasting and praying on this day. The numbers are slowly but surely growing. The heart of The Mercy Seat is that people would cry out for mercy on our nation over the blood guilt of 50,000,000 babies that have been aborted since 1973. Someone had a vision in which there was a 3rd seat on the supreme court and it was the Mercy Seat of heaven! People will be crying out for the blood of Jesus to cover the sins of this nation with mercy. All who are gathered will be crying out for the ending of abortion, the rising of an adoption movement to take its place, and an outpouring of revival and change in this nation.
Right now we are currently in the beginnings of a 21 day fast that started on April 5th. We are praying for open doors for new amendments that are being processed in South Dakota and Colorado that will change abortion in those states, we are praying about The Mercy Seat, and that God would move peoples hearts to join this awesome rising army of passionate intercessors.
Here in Nashville, specifically, we are asking God for strategy on how to get the word out about our new Bound 4 Life chapter and that God would align us with the right people who want to partner with us and open doors as we move forward. Also, we are in process of looking for more of a neutral and central location other than my home which is south of Nashville. Also, we have recently found out that The Mercy Seat is happening on the same day as the Music City Marathon here in Nashville which means there will be thousands of people already downtown to witness what God is doing at the supreme court! We are asking that God would move on people's hearts as they pass by and that He would pour himself out in a mighty way!
--
Gloria Greenman
Nashville Bound 4 Life
615-775-0033
gideoncompanynashville@gmail.com
bound4life.com
Monday, April 7, 2008
A "Love and Logic" Moment
Yesterday we went to the park after the service at Grace Center and spent nearly three hours playing HARD. Judah managed to keep up with his sword at the playground, but he abandoned it for the sandbox, never to see it again. When we got to the van, he said, "My sword!" We looked all over for it, to no avail. He cried for awhile, and then he started asking questions, imagining a scenario between a child (who might have picked up his sword) and the child's mother.
He says, "What if a kid took my sword? What would his mom say?" (I make up what I think she would say, then . . .) "What would he say?" (answer) and "What would his mom say?" (answer). . . This goes on until I'm all out of ideas. Then he says, "Maybe she would say, 'Let's get out the map and look for Judah.'" At this point, I think to call a friend we ran into at the sandbox. He still happens to be at the park and graciously offers to check once more before taking off (in case the sword was taken back to the place it was found by the imaginary kid playing with it), but it was still missing.
Judah had a good cry about it. When we got home (after he took a short nap), he asked if our friend had called. I told him he did and that he didn't see it. Surprisingly, there was no second meltdown.
I told MH (Mr. Honey) that in the Love and Logic book I'm reading, they encourage parents to let the pain teach the lesson--instead of driving home with lesson with an explanation of what happened, the parents show empathy.
From Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility, "The Love-and-Logic Parent," page 96:
"You have probably noticed that love-and-logic parents react quite differently than other parents do when kids make mistakes. We don't get angry, we don't riddle them with I-told-you-so's, and we don't sit them down and lecture them about their errors.
"If we get angry, we strip the consequences of their power. We insert ourselves into the process and impede the logic of the consequences from doing their thing. The child's anger is directed toward us and not toward the lesson the consequences teach.
"Also, when we sit kids down and explain to them--even in the nicest terms--what they did wrong and why it didn't work out, we deflect their thinking from their own consequences to us. We only retard the power of the consequences when we do that.
"The thing that drives the lesson down into our children's hearts after they make a mistake is our empathy and sadness. We put the relationship between us and our children foremost in our minds. Our love for them reigns supreme. We have been building their self-concept from infancy, telling them they are loved, skillful, and capable. And a foul-up, regardless of how serious on their part, doesn't change anything. They must know that, and be told that message continually.
"So, when they make a mistake, we really ache for them--we know what it's like. And we tell them this in all seriousness. When our kids blow it, and suffer the consequences, it is crucial that we express our sadness to them."
The authors also talk about not rescuing your kid all the time, so in this case, not promising another sword or going straight to the mall for a replacement. We simply let Judah feel what it's like to lose something important to him, while empathizing and saying things like, "I'm sorry, darlin'. I know. I'm so sorry."
I think it's possible that he was content to believe that a child who didn't have as many toys as he does ended up with it since he has asked me earlier that day if he could give it to a little girl "to keep for the rest of her life." I asked him if he knew what that meant for him, and he said, "That I won't get to play with it never, ever again?"
I'm sure that when he wants to take another toy to the park, we'll talk about whether or not he's prepared to lose it forever, and the reality of losing his sword will be the deciding factor.
On another Love-and-Logic note, something happened today that gave me a glimpse into my future as I parent this thinker named Judah. I saw that he was about to take a toy away from Miriam, and I said sternly, "Don't." (I was already frustrated with him at this point--so much for Love-and-Logic parents not getting angry!) I told him that by taking toys away from Miriam, he was teaching her to take toys away from him. His response? "You're teaching me to say 'No' to Miriam." (Of course, further solidifying the idea I had earlier when I overheard him talking to Miriam about not putting sidewalk chalk in his drink. It went something like this: Miriam, never, ever do that again. Do you understand? Would you want me to put sidewalk chalk in your drink? Miriam? He was really going for it until I came out and asked if he was being kind.)
In case you're wondering, our conversation ended with me saying, "No, I think you have that down pretty well." He made an ugly face and started to get smart with me, so I said, "Do you want to be kind or do you want to be in your room by yourself?" He said, "I want to be in my room by myself." I said, "No problem," then I walked out with Miriam and shut the door, about 20 minutes later, he came downstairs, sat on a chair in the living room (I was vacuuming couscous from lunch--note to self: eat outside or make sure it's contained) and asked me, "Mommy, will you read a book to me?"
To end on an even sweeter note, I got an e-mail this morning from one of the volunteers in Judah's Sunday school class. She wrote:
Judah is precious!!!!!!
Yesterday we were playing and I was picking up toys and he said-- but we can't pick up the toys-- it's not time to go because we haven't had story time yet. I said, yeah buddy we had story time before you got here. He said-- but didn't you know I was coming????? :)
He's super super super sweet. and Very well behaved.
This did wonders for starting my day. It's also a wonderful way to end it. Good night!
He says, "What if a kid took my sword? What would his mom say?" (I make up what I think she would say, then . . .) "What would he say?" (answer) and "What would his mom say?" (answer). . . This goes on until I'm all out of ideas. Then he says, "Maybe she would say, 'Let's get out the map and look for Judah.'" At this point, I think to call a friend we ran into at the sandbox. He still happens to be at the park and graciously offers to check once more before taking off (in case the sword was taken back to the place it was found by the imaginary kid playing with it), but it was still missing.
Judah had a good cry about it. When we got home (after he took a short nap), he asked if our friend had called. I told him he did and that he didn't see it. Surprisingly, there was no second meltdown.
I told MH (Mr. Honey) that in the Love and Logic book I'm reading, they encourage parents to let the pain teach the lesson--instead of driving home with lesson with an explanation of what happened, the parents show empathy.
From Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility, "The Love-and-Logic Parent," page 96:
"You have probably noticed that love-and-logic parents react quite differently than other parents do when kids make mistakes. We don't get angry, we don't riddle them with I-told-you-so's, and we don't sit them down and lecture them about their errors.
"If we get angry, we strip the consequences of their power. We insert ourselves into the process and impede the logic of the consequences from doing their thing. The child's anger is directed toward us and not toward the lesson the consequences teach.
"Also, when we sit kids down and explain to them--even in the nicest terms--what they did wrong and why it didn't work out, we deflect their thinking from their own consequences to us. We only retard the power of the consequences when we do that.
"The thing that drives the lesson down into our children's hearts after they make a mistake is our empathy and sadness. We put the relationship between us and our children foremost in our minds. Our love for them reigns supreme. We have been building their self-concept from infancy, telling them they are loved, skillful, and capable. And a foul-up, regardless of how serious on their part, doesn't change anything. They must know that, and be told that message continually.
"So, when they make a mistake, we really ache for them--we know what it's like. And we tell them this in all seriousness. When our kids blow it, and suffer the consequences, it is crucial that we express our sadness to them."
The authors also talk about not rescuing your kid all the time, so in this case, not promising another sword or going straight to the mall for a replacement. We simply let Judah feel what it's like to lose something important to him, while empathizing and saying things like, "I'm sorry, darlin'. I know. I'm so sorry."
I think it's possible that he was content to believe that a child who didn't have as many toys as he does ended up with it since he has asked me earlier that day if he could give it to a little girl "to keep for the rest of her life." I asked him if he knew what that meant for him, and he said, "That I won't get to play with it never, ever again?"
I'm sure that when he wants to take another toy to the park, we'll talk about whether or not he's prepared to lose it forever, and the reality of losing his sword will be the deciding factor.
On another Love-and-Logic note, something happened today that gave me a glimpse into my future as I parent this thinker named Judah. I saw that he was about to take a toy away from Miriam, and I said sternly, "Don't." (I was already frustrated with him at this point--so much for Love-and-Logic parents not getting angry!) I told him that by taking toys away from Miriam, he was teaching her to take toys away from him. His response? "You're teaching me to say 'No' to Miriam." (Of course, further solidifying the idea I had earlier when I overheard him talking to Miriam about not putting sidewalk chalk in his drink. It went something like this: Miriam, never, ever do that again. Do you understand? Would you want me to put sidewalk chalk in your drink? Miriam? He was really going for it until I came out and asked if he was being kind.)
In case you're wondering, our conversation ended with me saying, "No, I think you have that down pretty well." He made an ugly face and started to get smart with me, so I said, "Do you want to be kind or do you want to be in your room by yourself?" He said, "I want to be in my room by myself." I said, "No problem," then I walked out with Miriam and shut the door, about 20 minutes later, he came downstairs, sat on a chair in the living room (I was vacuuming couscous from lunch--note to self: eat outside or make sure it's contained) and asked me, "Mommy, will you read a book to me?"
To end on an even sweeter note, I got an e-mail this morning from one of the volunteers in Judah's Sunday school class. She wrote:
Judah is precious!!!!!!
Yesterday we were playing and I was picking up toys and he said-- but we can't pick up the toys-- it's not time to go because we haven't had story time yet. I said, yeah buddy we had story time before you got here. He said-- but didn't you know I was coming????? :)
He's super super super sweet. and Very well behaved.
This did wonders for starting my day. It's also a wonderful way to end it. Good night!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A Child Orchestra
Since I just threw a bunch of parenting resources out there, I think I should also share the notes I jotted down on an envelope this afternoon upon reading the MCM post about animosity toward parenting books.
I got a picture today of children as musical instruments. They make different sounds and they're played different ways. Just because a violin is different from a flute doesn't make one better or worse than the other. While one is a stringed instrument and the other is wind, there is no difference in their value. You could try to blow into a stringed instrument to no avail, or attempt to find strings on a wind instrument (since your only experience with instruments might have been with strings), but you will never find them. The trick is to discover how each instrument sings. Then, give it songs to play.
Different parenting styles are like the different ways to play instruments. Some offer songs to sing . . . the songs might be classical, country, contemporary . . . they might be fast or slow, loud or soft . . . but they're all ways to create music, and they're all valuable.
If you've ever seen an orchestra, you know how powerful it is to behold so many different people playing so many different instruments at once. How glorious the sound! If we could see our children as playing in a grand orchestra, perhaps we could appreciate better the differences in instruments, how they're played, and the sounds they make.
I got a picture today of children as musical instruments. They make different sounds and they're played different ways. Just because a violin is different from a flute doesn't make one better or worse than the other. While one is a stringed instrument and the other is wind, there is no difference in their value. You could try to blow into a stringed instrument to no avail, or attempt to find strings on a wind instrument (since your only experience with instruments might have been with strings), but you will never find them. The trick is to discover how each instrument sings. Then, give it songs to play.
Different parenting styles are like the different ways to play instruments. Some offer songs to sing . . . the songs might be classical, country, contemporary . . . they might be fast or slow, loud or soft . . . but they're all ways to create music, and they're all valuable.
If you've ever seen an orchestra, you know how powerful it is to behold so many different people playing so many different instruments at once. How glorious the sound! If we could see our children as playing in a grand orchestra, perhaps we could appreciate better the differences in instruments, how they're played, and the sounds they make.
Agreement and Connection
Every now and then, I check out what the Music City Moms are chatting about. Today, someone posted a question about parenting books. Just this past Sunday, my girlfriend Rachel was telling me that she wished she could erase everything she's ever read on parenting and just go with what she feels led by the Lord to do with her sons. She also said that it's hard for her to live with the ambiguity of loving her friends dearly and disagreeing with their parenting styles, strategies, principles, or tactics. I can totally relate.
Wendy was telling me a couple weeks ago at playgroup that she was reading a book about Bono of U2. She was impressed with his attitude about networking with political leaders to enact change. She said that he looks for one point of agreement. If he and another leader can agree on one thing, then a connection is made and he knows they can move forward.
Too often, we find the points of disagreement and disconnect rather than looking for the points of agreement and connecting. Rather than moving forward, we move away. I think some of that comes from what we learn through organized religion. For example, a church I attended as a child forbid the taking of communion by non-members. I thought about that recently when our church donated a ridiculous amount of money to another church. Our pastor announced that we were all invited to join in on the actual donation, but he encouraged us to move quickly because he wanted to join them in taking communion. Today I thought, "What if they have a policy that they don't allow non-members to take communion?" It might have looked something like this: "Oh, thank you for salvaging that painting of Jesus that used to hang in our old building. It was the only thing that wasn't demolished by the tornado, and it looks beautiful in that new frame. And, oh, there's more? You want to give us money? How wonderful! Well, we'd love to have you join us in the taking of the Lord's supper, but we reserve that for members only. The check is made out for how much? $204,000? Wow. That's wonderful. Thank you for the generous donation. Now, if you'll excuse us, please, we need to partake in our 'closed communion.' "
Can you imagine?
I should probably write a little ditty about the donation. We hosted a conference this weekend called "Resource Revolution: Unleashing Extraordinary Generosity through Ordinary People." Approximately 150 people attended. At the end of the conference, an offering was received with the intention of giving every cent away. Over $100,000 was collected. Yes, $100,000. Crazy, eh? Then, on Sunday morning, we were given an opportunity to participate in the giving away of a wildly generous offering to an unknown recepient. Another $104,000 was collected (we have approximately 500 members at Grace Center--obviously, many of them are wealthy). After all the money was counted, we were told that the donation would go to a small 50+ member church that lost its historic building during the recent tornados. I found out yesterday that their insurance would pay for up to $500,000 of repairs, but the estimate to rebuild was $700,000. Our donation made up the difference--in a day. If you'd like to hear the whole story, click HERE and listen to "WOW" or read about it HERE.
Back to looking for places of agreement . . .
I often read the MCM web posts and think about how people embrace different philosophies and hold tightly to them, surround themselves with people (and literature) that agree with them, and seem afraid of hearing anything that might contradict what they believe. I wonder, what are we afraid of? Why do we jump to defensive mode when we're confronted with an opposing viewpoint? Why is it so hard to separate our emotions from our opinions?
This blog is a place where I can come and explore different ideas, write about what's on my mind (as well as the hilarious and poignant things my kids are saying and doing!), and practice writing persuasively. I know I have the heart of an activist, but I also tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I'm hoping to hone my writing skills by writing more frequently. Eventually I'd like to branch out and write in more public venues. I often feel as though I have something to say, but when I sit down to write, I get stuck. I've commented a few times on the MCM website, which was prefaced by several months of reading and thinking and mustering up the necessary courage.
I could go in lots of different directions from here . . . let me first write what I've thought of several times today. A while back, I went to a homeschool workshop led by Carole Joy Seid (she's doing another one next Saturday, April 12, at Christ Community Church in Franklin called "Begin with the End in Mind"). I assumed after listening to her and agreeing with almost everything she said that I would want to read all of her recommended books. I was surprised to find that one of her favorite books presents an opposing parenting philosophy to the ones I currently hold. I just figured we'd match up on everything. Not so.
Before Judah was born, I had three different people recommend a tape series on parenting called "Along the Infant Way." Listening to the speakers bolstered my confidence as a parent. Their over-arching philosophy worked beautifully for my little textbook baby. I broke all their "rules," throughout Judah's first two years, but I held fast to the principles. Since I whole-heartedly agreed with so much of what they had to offer, I assumed they would have all sorts of other resources that I would also agree with and devour. While they did have a few interesting books (one of them being Assumptions that Affect Our Lives by Christian Overman--an excellent book), much of the rest of the material I checked out simply didn't resonate with me.
Another book that I read and re-read was Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. Again, I assumed that her next book, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers would be just as fabulous. It was fine, but I needed something a little meatier for my not-so-typical-toddler, Judah.
Now I'm a huge advocate of Danny Silk's teachings about "Loving Our Kids on Purpose," which is based largely on Foster Cline and Jim Fay's Love and Logic book, Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. It's my favorite way to approach parenting Judah. He's such a thinker and negotiator (and unbelieveably sensitive) that I'm so thankful for their advice and practical tips!
I'm going to leave the writing of my final paragraph to MH:
I really like how herroyalexcitedness (or sweetwife, for short) eats the meat and spits out the bones when she considers other people's points-of-view, even people she admires. It takes work to read and listen like that... listening for areas you agree in and areas you don't. I feel like SW absorbs content while holding her values in the forefront of her mind. Overall, it seems to be a skill that is practiced and learned (ask her about the first time she disagreed with Vange).
I think we all have similar values from a big picture perspective. Often, it is how we prioritize them that makes enormous differences in the output. For example, in our family, we value immediate-first-request obedience. If our kids don't respond to us immediately in a critical situation, they could be in life-threatening danger. We also value learning good decision-making, having choices with the freedom to make mistakes, and endure very real consequences. When those values collide, we have to evaluate (most often subconsciously) which is more important in that situation. Is this a training opportunity for obedience, an opportunity to give choices, or a chance for learning through consequences. (If you leave the play-doh out, it will dry up and you won't get to play with it anymore.) One of the things I especially love that about SW is that she is amazing at making choices about our value priorities that train and encourage our children in ways that really reflect our overall values, worldview, and passions. Isn't that the fundamental definition of an AMAZING parent? -MH
Wendy was telling me a couple weeks ago at playgroup that she was reading a book about Bono of U2. She was impressed with his attitude about networking with political leaders to enact change. She said that he looks for one point of agreement. If he and another leader can agree on one thing, then a connection is made and he knows they can move forward.
Too often, we find the points of disagreement and disconnect rather than looking for the points of agreement and connecting. Rather than moving forward, we move away. I think some of that comes from what we learn through organized religion. For example, a church I attended as a child forbid the taking of communion by non-members. I thought about that recently when our church donated a ridiculous amount of money to another church. Our pastor announced that we were all invited to join in on the actual donation, but he encouraged us to move quickly because he wanted to join them in taking communion. Today I thought, "What if they have a policy that they don't allow non-members to take communion?" It might have looked something like this: "Oh, thank you for salvaging that painting of Jesus that used to hang in our old building. It was the only thing that wasn't demolished by the tornado, and it looks beautiful in that new frame. And, oh, there's more? You want to give us money? How wonderful! Well, we'd love to have you join us in the taking of the Lord's supper, but we reserve that for members only. The check is made out for how much? $204,000? Wow. That's wonderful. Thank you for the generous donation. Now, if you'll excuse us, please, we need to partake in our 'closed communion.' "
Can you imagine?
I should probably write a little ditty about the donation. We hosted a conference this weekend called "Resource Revolution: Unleashing Extraordinary Generosity through Ordinary People." Approximately 150 people attended. At the end of the conference, an offering was received with the intention of giving every cent away. Over $100,000 was collected. Yes, $100,000. Crazy, eh? Then, on Sunday morning, we were given an opportunity to participate in the giving away of a wildly generous offering to an unknown recepient. Another $104,000 was collected (we have approximately 500 members at Grace Center--obviously, many of them are wealthy). After all the money was counted, we were told that the donation would go to a small 50+ member church that lost its historic building during the recent tornados. I found out yesterday that their insurance would pay for up to $500,000 of repairs, but the estimate to rebuild was $700,000. Our donation made up the difference--in a day. If you'd like to hear the whole story, click HERE and listen to "WOW" or read about it HERE.
Back to looking for places of agreement . . .
I often read the MCM web posts and think about how people embrace different philosophies and hold tightly to them, surround themselves with people (and literature) that agree with them, and seem afraid of hearing anything that might contradict what they believe. I wonder, what are we afraid of? Why do we jump to defensive mode when we're confronted with an opposing viewpoint? Why is it so hard to separate our emotions from our opinions?
This blog is a place where I can come and explore different ideas, write about what's on my mind (as well as the hilarious and poignant things my kids are saying and doing!), and practice writing persuasively. I know I have the heart of an activist, but I also tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I'm hoping to hone my writing skills by writing more frequently. Eventually I'd like to branch out and write in more public venues. I often feel as though I have something to say, but when I sit down to write, I get stuck. I've commented a few times on the MCM website, which was prefaced by several months of reading and thinking and mustering up the necessary courage.
I could go in lots of different directions from here . . . let me first write what I've thought of several times today. A while back, I went to a homeschool workshop led by Carole Joy Seid (she's doing another one next Saturday, April 12, at Christ Community Church in Franklin called "Begin with the End in Mind"). I assumed after listening to her and agreeing with almost everything she said that I would want to read all of her recommended books. I was surprised to find that one of her favorite books presents an opposing parenting philosophy to the ones I currently hold. I just figured we'd match up on everything. Not so.
Before Judah was born, I had three different people recommend a tape series on parenting called "Along the Infant Way." Listening to the speakers bolstered my confidence as a parent. Their over-arching philosophy worked beautifully for my little textbook baby. I broke all their "rules," throughout Judah's first two years, but I held fast to the principles. Since I whole-heartedly agreed with so much of what they had to offer, I assumed they would have all sorts of other resources that I would also agree with and devour. While they did have a few interesting books (one of them being Assumptions that Affect Our Lives by Christian Overman--an excellent book), much of the rest of the material I checked out simply didn't resonate with me.
Another book that I read and re-read was Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. Again, I assumed that her next book, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers would be just as fabulous. It was fine, but I needed something a little meatier for my not-so-typical-toddler, Judah.
Now I'm a huge advocate of Danny Silk's teachings about "Loving Our Kids on Purpose," which is based largely on Foster Cline and Jim Fay's Love and Logic book, Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. It's my favorite way to approach parenting Judah. He's such a thinker and negotiator (and unbelieveably sensitive) that I'm so thankful for their advice and practical tips!
I'm going to leave the writing of my final paragraph to MH:
I really like how herroyalexcitedness (or sweetwife, for short) eats the meat and spits out the bones when she considers other people's points-of-view, even people she admires. It takes work to read and listen like that... listening for areas you agree in and areas you don't. I feel like SW absorbs content while holding her values in the forefront of her mind. Overall, it seems to be a skill that is practiced and learned (ask her about the first time she disagreed with Vange).
I think we all have similar values from a big picture perspective. Often, it is how we prioritize them that makes enormous differences in the output. For example, in our family, we value immediate-first-request obedience. If our kids don't respond to us immediately in a critical situation, they could be in life-threatening danger. We also value learning good decision-making, having choices with the freedom to make mistakes, and endure very real consequences. When those values collide, we have to evaluate (most often subconsciously) which is more important in that situation. Is this a training opportunity for obedience, an opportunity to give choices, or a chance for learning through consequences. (If you leave the play-doh out, it will dry up and you won't get to play with it anymore.) One of the things I especially love that about SW is that she is amazing at making choices about our value priorities that train and encourage our children in ways that really reflect our overall values, worldview, and passions. Isn't that the fundamental definition of an AMAZING parent? -MH
A Quick Laugh
I just had to share an text message conversation that I had tonight with my friend Becki:
BEC: I Luv you like robins Luv worms. Like dogs Luv a belly scratch. Like I Luv shopping. Haha. Like hippies Luv flowers. Like ants Luv picnics. How was your day?
ME: This is one my favorite things you do. I love you!
BEC: I love it when you sing on my voice mail. The happiness lasts a long time. Like caramel in my blood. But, caramel without partially hydrogenated oils.
Oh, my gosh. I laughed so hard.
It's still making me laugh.
Last night, James was reading my blog posts in front of me. He started laughing, and I figured he had gotten to the Judah conversations. Nope. He was reading my two most passionate sentences about pasteurized juice. So he read them aloud to me with grandeur and flair (the most he could muster) and we both had a good laugh. He asked if that's how it sounded in my head. I said, "No, the 'passionate about healthy food' voice sounds more like Vange." If you don't know who Vange is, imagine an extremely tall, long-haired New Zealand mama with nine children. She's about as passionate as they come.
I love that my husband and my friends can laugh at me and with me about my rants and tirades. Truth be told, I have to swing pretty hard in the thought department so I'm not as likely to swing too hard in the action department. Translation: if I perceive junk food as detrimental to my health, then I'll be less likely to consume it on a regular basis. If I perceive junk food to be neutral, then I'd be more likely to eat it all the time. I'm having to swing my pendulum in the opposite direction from where it's been all my life. That way, an occasional swing back to eating junk will be temporary. Junk food will become treats. Desserts will be eaten on special occasions (or the result of intense cravings) instead of what's expected at the end of a meal.
My friend Wendy told me recently that she was surprised (and a little relieved) to find out that we don't eat healthy food 100% of the time. Actually, I'm much more of a healthy eater than my husband is, and both my husband and my son love desserts (I'm tempted here to write a "like ______ loves ______" in the spirit of Auntie Bec). I can take 'em or leave 'em. Unless we're talking about chewy, homemade cookies. Then, it's all about how many I can eat before I feel sick. Just ask my mom. :0)
(My mom brought us a ziploc container of homemade chewy oatmeal with white raisin cookies, and I had to reserve one for MH since Judah and I ate every single cookie instead of eating lunch. She made them with coconut oil instead of shortening. Woo Hoo! Go, Mom!)
BEC: I Luv you like robins Luv worms. Like dogs Luv a belly scratch. Like I Luv shopping. Haha. Like hippies Luv flowers. Like ants Luv picnics. How was your day?
ME: This is one my favorite things you do. I love you!
BEC: I love it when you sing on my voice mail. The happiness lasts a long time. Like caramel in my blood. But, caramel without partially hydrogenated oils.
Oh, my gosh. I laughed so hard.
It's still making me laugh.
Last night, James was reading my blog posts in front of me. He started laughing, and I figured he had gotten to the Judah conversations. Nope. He was reading my two most passionate sentences about pasteurized juice. So he read them aloud to me with grandeur and flair (the most he could muster) and we both had a good laugh. He asked if that's how it sounded in my head. I said, "No, the 'passionate about healthy food' voice sounds more like Vange." If you don't know who Vange is, imagine an extremely tall, long-haired New Zealand mama with nine children. She's about as passionate as they come.
I love that my husband and my friends can laugh at me and with me about my rants and tirades. Truth be told, I have to swing pretty hard in the thought department so I'm not as likely to swing too hard in the action department. Translation: if I perceive junk food as detrimental to my health, then I'll be less likely to consume it on a regular basis. If I perceive junk food to be neutral, then I'd be more likely to eat it all the time. I'm having to swing my pendulum in the opposite direction from where it's been all my life. That way, an occasional swing back to eating junk will be temporary. Junk food will become treats. Desserts will be eaten on special occasions (or the result of intense cravings) instead of what's expected at the end of a meal.
My friend Wendy told me recently that she was surprised (and a little relieved) to find out that we don't eat healthy food 100% of the time. Actually, I'm much more of a healthy eater than my husband is, and both my husband and my son love desserts (I'm tempted here to write a "like ______ loves ______" in the spirit of Auntie Bec). I can take 'em or leave 'em. Unless we're talking about chewy, homemade cookies. Then, it's all about how many I can eat before I feel sick. Just ask my mom. :0)
(My mom brought us a ziploc container of homemade chewy oatmeal with white raisin cookies, and I had to reserve one for MH since Judah and I ate every single cookie instead of eating lunch. She made them with coconut oil instead of shortening. Woo Hoo! Go, Mom!)
Arched eyebrows at 8?
While I'm over here doing my increasingly natural thing, working toward simplicity, thinking about how my grandparents and great-grandparents lived, and wondering what I can learn from them, conversing with a friend about starting a garden this year, sharing articles about recycling shirts into little dresses . . . I happen upon this article about mothers taking their 8-12 year old daughters to receive spa treatments. Nuts.
Here are the first two paragraphs from the article so if you don't have time to click on the link and read it, you can at least get a glimpse of the polar opposite lifestyle taking place somewhere in Philadelphia:
"Melanie Engle was trying to just pluck the stray hairs here and there. She was trying to deliver an age-appropriate eyebrow wax to her client. It was hard, though, because there was a foot tapping next to her, and a voice shouting in her ear: 'No! Not like that — like a supermodel’s. I want them arched.'
"After years in the beauty biz, Engle had seen her share of crazy ladies demanding perfect, Glamour-cover-worthy brows. But this Crazy Lady wasn’t talking about her own brows. The brows in question belonged to Crazy Lady’s daughter. Who was eight."
Here are the first two paragraphs from the article so if you don't have time to click on the link and read it, you can at least get a glimpse of the polar opposite lifestyle taking place somewhere in Philadelphia:
"Melanie Engle was trying to just pluck the stray hairs here and there. She was trying to deliver an age-appropriate eyebrow wax to her client. It was hard, though, because there was a foot tapping next to her, and a voice shouting in her ear: 'No! Not like that — like a supermodel’s. I want them arched.'
"After years in the beauty biz, Engle had seen her share of crazy ladies demanding perfect, Glamour-cover-worthy brows. But this Crazy Lady wasn’t talking about her own brows. The brows in question belonged to Crazy Lady’s daughter. Who was eight."
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
My new blender
James recently brought home a nice bonus from Dell, and in addition to having our bathroom floor repaired, we bought a Vita-Mix blender.
Never in my life have I been so excited about a kitchen appliance.
I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!
I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!
Judah and I watched the "getting to know your blender" DVD together yesterday. He couldn't wait for me to make ice-cream and I couldn't wait to make a green smoothie. His ice-cream, which was absolutely delicious, was made with fresh pineapple and mango, ice, and whole milk (we've been buying the local non-homogenized kind that is gently pasteurized--we're considering purchasing raw milk, but we want to be sure we'll actually use it since we're not milk drinkers). We made it yesterday, and he finished it today. That's the kind of ice-cream I don't mind him eating for breakfast!
I added a couple carrots to my green smoothie (thanks to my friend Wendy's suggestion) and couldn't tell the difference. It was delicious. I managed to make the smoothie in record time and clean the blender in seconds. It's so powerful that you can put in five cups of warm water and two drops of dishwashing liquid, let it run for 30-60 seconds, and it's clean. It just needs a quick rinse in the sink to wash off the bubbles. Wow. It's its own dishwasher!
Did you know that you can cook soup in a Vita-Mix?!? Yep, steamy hot soup can be made in this super blender. I can't wait to try it. I just need all the ingredients for their creamy potato and chicken soup. I told Wendy (who knows how little I enjoy cooking) that I might actually start preparing some evening meals!
Just so you know, we have killed four blenders in the past three years. Not the best track-record. The first one was over 40 years old, the second one was a cheapie hand-me-down, the third one had a spoon in it that James tried to blend (oops!), and the fourth couldn't handle all the frozen strawberries James loaded into it. We upgraded when we went to exchange the last one, but the upgrade was heavy and an absolute beast to clean. It did a good job of blending, but it had all sorts of negative features. The Vita-Mix is light, a cinch to clean, 64 fl. oz. HUGE, and lasts FOREVER. Even the clerk at Williams Sonoma told me that if we're big into smoothies that we should consider buying a Vita-Mix. She has had hers for 11 years and has never had a problem.
So that's my big news for today. My new blender and all the joy it brings. That's how I'm able to make juice out of whole pieces of fruit in seconds.
I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE IT!!!
I honestly have never been so excited about a kitchen appliance in my life. I had no idea how much I would enjoy this thing. It's funny how our priorities change as we get older and have children. Hooray for a blender and a new bathroom floor. Woo Hoo!!!
JUDAH!
Judah Conversations
Judah has been singing a song that my mom taught him that has hand motions. He ends it with, "And they all walk away, singing "Hallelujah! Hallelujah to the King . . . of France." I'm not sure where the "France" part came in. He manages to throw names of countries into several of his songs: "The wheels on the bus go round and round, all the way home to Africa."
***
Tonight Judah asked me, "Mommy, does God love people even when they're killing other people?"
I said, "Yes, He does. Does Mommy love you even when you make bad choices?"
He responded, "Yes."
I said, "And God loves people even when they make bad choices. It makes him sad when they kill other people, but he still loves them."
Judah said, "That's a REALLY LOVE!"
***
Last night when I was putting laundry away, Judah wanted to help. He put two of his shirts on hangars. While he was doing it, he said, "I love putting things on hangars."
I said, "You do?"
He said, "Yeah! I do! I love it!"
***
When I was putting his clothes in the kids' closet, he asked me if I could move his shirts to the bottom and Miriam's clothes to the top so he could reach his stuff. I thought he wanted to be able to get his shirts by himself like he does his pants, socks, and underwear, but he actually wanted to put his clothes in the closet by himself. He's such an amazing helper.
***
Whenever Judah needs to poop, we get an announcement. After he poops, he shouts, "Mommy! Come and wipe me!" I have to let him see the poop before I put the toilet paper in the toilet. Tonight James helped him while I finished eating, and hearing his excitement just cracked me up. That's when I thought, "I am definitely the mother of a four-year-old boy. He gets more excited about the size and shape of his poop than about seeing me walk through the door when we've been away from each other."
***
Tonight Judah asked me, "Mommy, does God love people even when they're killing other people?"
I said, "Yes, He does. Does Mommy love you even when you make bad choices?"
He responded, "Yes."
I said, "And God loves people even when they make bad choices. It makes him sad when they kill other people, but he still loves them."
Judah said, "That's a REALLY LOVE!"
***
Last night when I was putting laundry away, Judah wanted to help. He put two of his shirts on hangars. While he was doing it, he said, "I love putting things on hangars."
I said, "You do?"
He said, "Yeah! I do! I love it!"
***
When I was putting his clothes in the kids' closet, he asked me if I could move his shirts to the bottom and Miriam's clothes to the top so he could reach his stuff. I thought he wanted to be able to get his shirts by himself like he does his pants, socks, and underwear, but he actually wanted to put his clothes in the closet by himself. He's such an amazing helper.
***
Whenever Judah needs to poop, we get an announcement. After he poops, he shouts, "Mommy! Come and wipe me!" I have to let him see the poop before I put the toilet paper in the toilet. Tonight James helped him while I finished eating, and hearing his excitement just cracked me up. That's when I thought, "I am definitely the mother of a four-year-old boy. He gets more excited about the size and shape of his poop than about seeing me walk through the door when we've been away from each other."
Tonight's thoughts
I'm hiding. Both of my kids are crying, and I'm done with crying for the day. I needed a little peace, so I escaped to my bedroom upstairs with my laptop, shut the door, and started writing. I have so much I want to write . . . I don't know where to begin. Should I write separate posts? Put all my thoughts down in one, like a journal? I just don't know. (20 minutes later . . . the house is quiet. I heard James put Miriam to bed. She cried for a minute, but now there's peace. Ah, I love that sound. The sound of nothing. It's so beautiful.)
Judah's exhausted. He has a huge play-dough mess in the dining room that he needs to clean up before he does anything else, and he's pulling every stall-tactic imaginable. At least he's not hungry. He and Miriam shared some chicken Italian sausage soup tonight from The Turnip Truck. They devoured it. It had big chunks of potatos, peas, lima beans, onions, okra in a chicken-stock base. Creamy, salty goodness. Perfect for a chilly, rainy night.
Late this afternoon, I made juice for the kids to tide them over until James got home with supper, which was the soup. (We get pints of soup for $3.99 with our $20 gift certificates that we purchased through www.NashvilleOriginals.com at 40% off.) The first juice I made was simply two pieces of fruit: an orange and a mango blended to juicy perfection. So sweet and delicous. I drank most of it. Miriam came into the kitchen wanting to share, so I offered her some. She finished it off.
The next juice I made was simply three or four clementines blended into a sweet, orange drink. Judah said, "It tastes like honey! It's like drinking honey!" He asked for some more, so I made another clementine drink that he shared with his sister. I get so much satisfaction knowing that they have all kinds of fresh nutrients being pumped through their little bodies. How can fresh clementines, an orange, and a mango compare to a box of juice that was, weeks ago, processed and pasteurized (cooked to death) and shipped from hundreds of miles away--after being turned into juice so that all the remaining nutrients could die before consumption, leaving mostly sugary water. Granted, my fruit was shipped from hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of miles away, however, it was still intact when it reached my kitchen. I didn't boil it to death so I could drink it in a couple weeks. I just peeled it and blended it and within minutes, it was guzzled by three members of my family.
Do we have pasteurized juice in our house? Yes. Do the kids drink it? Yes. Do I dilute it? Yes. Do I think it has any nutritional value? Yes. It helps to keep them hydrated. And that's critical.
I just heard the little princess. I should probably check on her. Guess this means another post is coming tonight!
James just walked in the door. He said that Miriam fell asleep on his chest; it was so sweet. The noise she made happened during her transition to her crib. I asked MH (Mr. Honey) what Judah was doing, but he doesn't know. I'm guessing he's asleep downstairs in the dining room. Yep. Fast asleep on the extra bed downstairs. It's only 7:39 and the kids are both OUT! Woo Hoo!!!
Judah's exhausted. He has a huge play-dough mess in the dining room that he needs to clean up before he does anything else, and he's pulling every stall-tactic imaginable. At least he's not hungry. He and Miriam shared some chicken Italian sausage soup tonight from The Turnip Truck. They devoured it. It had big chunks of potatos, peas, lima beans, onions, okra in a chicken-stock base. Creamy, salty goodness. Perfect for a chilly, rainy night.
Late this afternoon, I made juice for the kids to tide them over until James got home with supper, which was the soup. (We get pints of soup for $3.99 with our $20 gift certificates that we purchased through www.NashvilleOriginals.com at 40% off.) The first juice I made was simply two pieces of fruit: an orange and a mango blended to juicy perfection. So sweet and delicous. I drank most of it. Miriam came into the kitchen wanting to share, so I offered her some. She finished it off.
The next juice I made was simply three or four clementines blended into a sweet, orange drink. Judah said, "It tastes like honey! It's like drinking honey!" He asked for some more, so I made another clementine drink that he shared with his sister. I get so much satisfaction knowing that they have all kinds of fresh nutrients being pumped through their little bodies. How can fresh clementines, an orange, and a mango compare to a box of juice that was, weeks ago, processed and pasteurized (cooked to death) and shipped from hundreds of miles away--after being turned into juice so that all the remaining nutrients could die before consumption, leaving mostly sugary water. Granted, my fruit was shipped from hundreds (and maybe even thousands) of miles away, however, it was still intact when it reached my kitchen. I didn't boil it to death so I could drink it in a couple weeks. I just peeled it and blended it and within minutes, it was guzzled by three members of my family.
Do we have pasteurized juice in our house? Yes. Do the kids drink it? Yes. Do I dilute it? Yes. Do I think it has any nutritional value? Yes. It helps to keep them hydrated. And that's critical.
I just heard the little princess. I should probably check on her. Guess this means another post is coming tonight!
James just walked in the door. He said that Miriam fell asleep on his chest; it was so sweet. The noise she made happened during her transition to her crib. I asked MH (Mr. Honey) what Judah was doing, but he doesn't know. I'm guessing he's asleep downstairs in the dining room. Yep. Fast asleep on the extra bed downstairs. It's only 7:39 and the kids are both OUT! Woo Hoo!!!
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