Jumping in the Deep End

I did it. I jumped in the deep end. Again.


A good friend of mine started an Internet-based network marketing company a few years ago, and I just joined last week. Since joining, I have been glued to the computer when the kids are sleeping. There's so much to learn. I feel as though I'm not only learning a new language and a new culture, but I'm also learning more about myself in the midst of a very steep learning curve. I'm beginning to connect a lot of dots (Bachelor's Degree in Communications + former career counselor + sales experience + teacher at heart = recipe for successful network marketing).

Much of network marketing is simply staying on top of the latest research and enthusiastically sharing with your team what you've learned. Your success depends not only on your own efforts, but also on the efforts of the team you have working with you. I LOVE helping people succeed. I LOVE sharing what I've learned. I LOVE communicating via blog, e-mail, phone, and in person. I'm already loving my new adventure!


I'm thinking about going public with my blogging and having a blog that chronicles the business journey, a blog about parenting, one about food, one about cool artsy stuff . . . does anyone out there have any opinions about doing separate public blogs? I'm thinking it's time to invite a broader audience into my little world. What do you think?


One of the advantages of creating public blogs (without all the personal information about the kids) is that I'll also be able to market my new business to people who care about parenting, food, art, and marketing. It's going to be more time-consuming, but I could end up making a significant amount of money, enabling us to get completely out of debt. I'm also tracking on wealth-building. Since several of our friends have teenagers graduating from high school this year, I'm beginning to think about what life will be like when the kids are driving and heading off to college or other expensive post-secondary adventures. I don't want to be completely dependent on Dell for a regular paycheck. As a result, I'm looking into creating multiple revenue streams. My new Internet business is just the beginning!

I created a simple website tonight (just to get started--I'm planning to continue to professionalize it), and I'd LOVE some feedback if you have any to offer.

CHECK IT OUT HERE: www.increasingfreedomnow.com

Smoothie Rescued from Drainpipe Death

This morning I nearly ruined another smoothie. Thanks to google and the ability to search for "tone down celery smoothie," I got the idea to add ginger. A little ginger, a lot of honey, and enough ice to make it really cold and I managed to drink nearly 32 oz. Oddly enough, the kids didn't have any problem drinking it.

Celery. Ugh. I can't stand the stuff. Many, many people love celery in their smoothies. Not me. Completely grosses me out. I thought maybe my tastes had changed. Maybe I would like it this time. Maybe I just had bad celery last time.

Is there such thing as good celery? I think not.

Anyway, in my search for a solution, I found this happy little link:

http://www.therawlife.co.uk/odetogreen.pdf

I LOVE MY GREEN SMOOTHIES!!!

P.S. to video post

Oh, and if you get this blog via e-mail instead of visiting the site (Mom), I FINALLY got Mira's doggie video loaded. You can view it by clicking HERE.

Enjoy!

How She Explains It

My dear friend (known as Kohana to her blog readers) is on an amazing adventure in Austrailia. She and her growing international family moved there as pioneers, as trail blazers, as a family seeking more LIFE.

This morning I read her post about their search for a church in Austrailia. People often ask me why we drive nearly 30 minutes to our fellowship. She beautifully describes what has been in my heart to say but what usually comes out in oversimplified terms, awkward phrasing, and lots of "uh"s.

Here is your invitation to her blog: http://growingfamily.typepad.com/. Her post is titled, "How can I explain it?"

Mira Spots a Doggie--Video

Here she is . . . my happy little Mira!

Even Sweeter--My Mira

Even sweeter than seeing that my neighbors have begun to recycle was hearing my sweet Mira say "Bye!" to the little puppy dog at the end of the street. She says, "Bo BO!" when she sees a dog, so I was expecting that, but what I wasn't expecting was to actually hear her say "Bye" when she waved goodbye to the doggie.

This morning she was sitting on the couch and jabbering with great enthusiasm while pointing to the empty wall above the couch behind me. I couldn't figure out what she talking about, so I asked, "Do you see angels?" And she said, "Angel." I could eat her up!

She's been saying "Uh Oh" when something falls and "Aw Gah" (All gone) while doing the sign for "All done." It's the sweetest! She also holds up her index finger when you ask her how old she is. She LOVES doggies and kitties and stuffed animals. When we went to a little shop in Brentwood with Auntie Bec last Saturday, she acted so surprised to see such a huge collection all in one place. She just couldn't get enough! When we were done, we put them all back in their homes and said, "Bye Bye!"

I love how she picks things up just by watching and then does them when I'm least expecting it. Every day she makes me laugh.

So Excited!

Yesterday was recycling day. Every third Tuesday, our recycling bin gets picked up. Yes, PICKED UP! I used to search out recycling centers and let the sorted recycling accumulate in our house. Now we have a huge recycling bin outside that holds all UNSORTED paper, plastic, boxes, and aluminum. Actually, we have two recycling bins, both of which are completely full by the next pick-up day. Our trash is never more than 1/3 full. I think we're balancing out the trash for our next-door neighbors who have two bins of trash that are always teeming full. They don't recycle. Yet.

I walked outside yesterday morning to put the trash bin next to the recycling bins and noticed more than one more recycling bin on our street. I walked to the end with the kids and counted. There used to be two (ours and the neighbor's). Now there are 8! By the end of the afternoon, another one appeared, so on our street yesterday we had 9 recycling bins and 11 trash bins. I was so excited!

I told a friend who came by that I feel as though three main things have contributed to the change. First, I have been praying for our neighborhood since we moved three years ago. Second, we lead by example. Third, the general public is suddenly bombarded by "green" messages. And now our street--our little street--is recycling! I'm so excited!

Want to know more about curbside recycling and what you can recycle? Go here:
http://www.nashville.gov/recycle/Recycling/residential/index.htm

Thinking about Financial Stuff

My friend Tod Bell recommended that I check out Dani Johnson on the web. Wow. I'm already getting shaken up by reading The Millionaire Mind. Now I'm watching and listening to this lady, hearing a lot of the same messages, and connecting so many of the thoughts I've had about wealth and finances and the great chasm between the rich and the poor. I used to drive around Clarksville and look at the houses and the people in the projects (a girlfriend from APSU lived there). In the same day, I'd drive by houses in affluent neighborhoods and wonder why there was such a difference. I figured most of what we consider "normal" is what we grow up with. Since my dad made tens of thousands of dollars when I graduated high school, I decided that if I made as much money as my dad that I would be successful. I remember thinking that exact thought and where I was when I had it. Now I'm beginning to look at the dads of other kids and wondering if their kids have had the same thoughts. I'm changing my financial thermostat. No matter where I am on the ladder, there will always be people above and below me. There will always be multi-millionaires and we will always have the homeless. I will always be inbetween. I'm wondering now what we need to do as a family to climb up a few more rungs. Several more rungs. And keep climbing.

Here are some links to Dani Johnson's audio, video, books, and seminars:
http://www.danijohnson.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93RI4l-O0BY (watch video)
http://www.danijohnson.com/spiritdrivensuccess/audio.php (listen to clips)

Somewhat reminiscent of a lampshade, this is another cutie outfit created by my seamstress mom. When we went to Centennial Park, Mira got so many compliments and smiles and giggles. It was easy to spot her, too!

This little outfit came from Auntie Lisa in MN. It's sized for 12-months. Now that Miriam is almost 17 months, she can finally wear it! Thank you, Auntie Lisa!

I almost always take pictures of Miriam when her hair is curly (which is most of the time). Here she is with straight(er) hair.

Bye, bye, cutie pie!

Sleepy Kiddos

This NEVER happens. Both kids are asleep--at the same time--at 9:30 a.m. They usually nap closer to 1:00 p.m. with Mira generally being the sole napper.

Yesterday Judah fell asleep while Mira and I were outside pulling weeds. I said, "Even Indians have to sleep" to which he responded, "Indians don't sleep. They rest."

When Judah woke up and I saw Miriam asleep on her baby doll, I just had to take a picture.

Human Plasma in Vaccines--from which humans?

So far, all I've found in my little bit of tooling around on the Internet is that human albumin, at least from one source, is made from the plasma of "adult blood" or "blood donors" or "venous blood." I also found that it is heated for 10 hours in order to "reduce the risk" of viral infection, including "HIV"; however, "despite these measures, such products may still contain human pathogenic agents, including those not yet known or identified."

Also included in the fine print is the following statement: "No procedure has been shown to be totally effective in removing viral infectivity . . . "

I'm being led to believe that most human albumin, which is an ingredient in several vaccines, comes from adult blood donors, rather than aborted babies, which is less alarming. However, I am still alarmed. I would love to have had this information disclosed instead of having to go digging around for it.

Want to dig around? Check out the following websites:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf
http://www.vaccineawareness.org/concerns.htm
http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=chemical+vaccine
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/19/75-000-offered-for-md-to-publicly-drink-vaccine-additives.aspx?PageIndex=2

I'm back!

Oh, and by the way, I'm back from my little vacation.


I have this habit of jumping in the deep end first.

Thinking about Vaccinations

A friend sent me this article today which really shook me up:

Vaccine Case: An Exception Or A Precedent?http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/06/eveningnews/main3915703.shtml?source=search_story

When I responded, she sent me this article:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/05/12/couricandco/entry4090144.shtml

I've heard a lot of talk about the possible link between childhood vaccines and autism (a friend of ours who has an autistic child believes that there is an actual chemical tipping-point that occurs for autistic children--she has decided to delay vaccinating her second child). However, I hadn't checked out the list of ingredients in the vaccines our children have received (or the ones we received both as children and as adults on our way to Uganda).

The ingredient that is the most unsettling to me is "human albumin." Some websites suggest that it is derived from aborted fetuses. I haven't found anything offering proof except that a study was conducted in 1965 using a rubella vaccine cultured from an aborted fetus:

http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf
The first reference reads:
Plotkin, S.A.; Cornfeld, D.; Ingalls, T.H.: Studies of immunization with living rubella virus: Trials in children with a strain cultured
from an aborted fetus, Am. J. Dis. Child. 110: 381-389, 1965from an aborted fetus, Am. J. Dis. Child. 110: 381-389, 1965.

Now I'm wondering if human albumin doesn't come from an aborted fetus, where does it come from?

For a list of ingredients, click here:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

Judah My Judah

Chasing Miriam down the hallway. I think he loves it as much as she does!

The great warrior. See the arrow?

"Look how high I can shoot!" (I'll bet Auntie Lisa never dreamed that pirate bandana would be used as a loincloth!)

I don't think a day goes by that he doesn't dress up. I wouldn't trade this boy for anything in the world.

Miriam Series

"I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna get that baby girl!"

Her new pose. Ready for take-off.

I think she's sad that Judah's not chasing her.

She got to the end of the hallway with the pouty face, but when I addressed her, I got THIS!

Food Links

If you have any desire to sit down and watch a full-length documentary on your computer, this is the one to watch:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/01/this-company-may-be-the-biggest-threat-to-your-future-health.aspx?source=nl

It's reminiscent of the movie Erin Brockovich, which is based on the life story of the real Erin Brockovich, whose blog is HERE. It picks up where The Future of Food leaves off. It will probably make you mad (at a very large, unethical corporation).

If you do all this research and want to know how on earth we got here, read Food Politics by Marion Nestle.

Now it's time to pack. I'm going to spend the weekend in Florida with seven other women while MH holds down the fort and takes care of the kiddos. Woo Hoo!!! A VACATION!!!

The aroma of oatmeal and coffee

Gradually, I have been moving away from a convenience mindset and toward a whole foods approach to eating and preparing food. Instead of reaching for a bag of cheese curls, chips, or pretzels, I reach for a piece of fresh fruit (which needs to be washed and occasionally peeled and sliced), some nuts and/or dried fruit (I've recently rediscovered dried figs--YUM) or I make a smoothie. My kids love to snack on homemade bread with real butter.

At breakfast yesterday, I felt like a domestic genius. The night before, I dragged out the crockpot (for the first time in years). Then, I added six cups of filtered water and two cups of steel cut oats, plugged it in, turned the dial to "low," and went to bed. The next morning, the kids and I enjoyed our hot, creamy porridge with locally made Amish butter (from Whole Foods) and organic maple syrup (on sale at The Turnip Truck). By 8:00 a.m., all three of us had been fed. That may be a record.

Last week, my mom and grandmom came to visit. My grandmom made a cup of coffee while I was in the bathroom. As soon as I smelled the coffee, I remembered all the Saturday and Sunday mornings I used to wake up at her house. Memories flooded my mind as I walked down the hall wondering what scents will trigger memories for my own children.

Recently, while I was making steel cut oats on the stove, Judah said, "I smell oatmeal!" The aroma of coffee wafting through my house made me realize how little we enjoy "slow" cooking. All the recipes I'm interested in can be put together in approximately 15- 20 minutes. Am I robbing my children of a way to remember their childhood by preparing everything so quickly?

Grandmom's house always smells so wonderful when something's simmering on the stove or baking in the oven. In my mind, I can see her soft hands peeling the skin off tomatoes while her black, cast iron skillets sit on the stove. A homemade dessert usually sits on the counter begging me to save room. I rarely do at Grandma's house. However, I can usually make room for her moist chocolate cake with brown sugar icing.

Knowing they're my favorites, she always makes her famous lima beans and chicken soup with homemade noodles when I'm coming over. I can see her kitchen clearly. Not much about it has changed over the past 25 years. It's one of my favorite places to be.

I'm so thankful for my Grandma and her slow cooking. Even though I don't like the taste of coffee at all, I LOVE the aroma. I'm sure it's because it reminds me of weekends spent with my grandparents.

Smoothie Recipes and Ideas

Strawberry Mango Limeade Smoothie (from this morning)

Two limes (or just juice)
One lemon (or just juice)
One mango (fresh or frozen)
10 frozen strawberries
3 big handfuls of red grapes
a few mint leaves
(if you use all fresh fruit, add ice)

Tart, sweet, refreshing, pretty . . . the best lime drink I've ever tasted!

The Kitchen Sink Smoothie (from yesterday)

I think I set a record for myself yesterday with a 10-ingredient smoothie. It was a huge hit among all ages:
16 months
2 years
3 years
4 years
12 years
and their two 30-something mommies
Everyone asked for more!

Ingredients
Apple
Mango
Orange
Pineapple
Grapes
Figs
Avocado
Parsley
Banana (frozen & fresh)
Strawberries (frozen)
Delicious!

Smoothie Tips:

Try adding avocado. Gives smoothies great smoooothness but doesn't overpower with flavor (like bananas).

Greens I like to add: spinach, kale, parsley, mint . . .

Grapes make a great natural sweetener without changing the flavor much.

Mira Spots a Kitty Cat Video

Tonight's Little Ditty

We must have thoroughly worn out the kids yesterday because Miriam didn't wake up this morning until almost 9:00 (two hours later than usual) and Judah slept in until 10! Then, Miriam napped for nearly four hours this afternoon. Amazing. Even more amazing was that she slept through someone tearing up our bathroom floor and working hard to put it back together, this time with tile. It wasn't exactly conducive to a peaceful afternoon nap, but she managed pretty well.

On a completely different subject, my husband was reading some stuff on my computer recently, and he left open the tab from No Impact Man. Since we're often asked, "What on earth do you DO without a television?" I thought I'd share how Colin Beavan, a.k.a. No Impact Man, answered the question. These three, in particular, reminded me of our family:
We walk around, going nowhere in particular, and Isabella shows me how she can run, moving a lot, in her toddler body, like the tin man before Dorothy gave him oil.
We dance and we dance and we dance.
We take turns giving Mommy kiss attacks.
At our house, Judah is the kissing bandit and Miriam is the one who sometimes walks like the pre-oiled tin man. We love to push the coffee table against the wall and dance around the living room. I think I enjoy it even more than the kids.

For more of what the Beavans do, click here: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/entertaining-is.html.

Here's another link to a little story he shared (that I love!) about what they do without television: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/entertaining--1.html

And here's my little disclaimer: I definitely don't agree with everything on this man's blog, but reading it every now and then has helped me to be more aware of the impact I make (or don't make) on my little corner of the Earth.

Today Judah and I spent hours--literally--hours digging in the dirt. He looked for worms while I transplanted my herbs to a sunnier location and found places for some new flowers from my friend Wendy, who is my hero.

Wendy tried some of my new smoothie combinations this morning while she--in her little pregnant body--worked tirelessly on trying to fix my lawn mower. After she left, I added parsley to my morning smoothie. It was much more mild than I expected. YAY! I've discovered a new green that I can actually grow in my little herb garden and toss into my breakfast drinks!

Judah and I had home made apple cider this afternoon before supper. Oh, my. Delicious. I used three different kinds of apples, some pineapple, a little ginger, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, and some ice. After I tasted it, I decided to warm it up a little. I put it on the stove and added just a touch of honey. So yummy!

Mothering in Grace

We just returned from a full day of playing with friends at a local Italian restaurant (we got there at 3:45 p.m. and left at 9:45 p.m.). I picked up around the house after washing my face and brushing my teeth and decided to check e-mail and a couple blogs before retiring for the night.

My friend Shyla, who has six precious sweeties, wrote a helpful post on mothering--especially mothering small children (age two and younger). Her blog is always encouraging and refreshing: http://motheringingrace.blogspot.com/2008/05/taming-of-two.html.

Just wanted to share!

Hello, again.

I haven't been writing much for two reasons. One, I haven't felt as though I have the brainpower to construct coherent sentences. (I have spent too many consecutive nights waking up to cough, sneeze, and blow my nose.) Two, it's been SO gorgeous outside that the kids and I have spent nearly every possible waking moment enjoying the sunshine.

Late yesterday afternoon I took Judah to see The Reluctant Dragon, a play at the Nashville Children's Theatre. It was EXCELLENT. The set was gorgeous, the actors were professional, the story was funny and poignant, and the dialogue was beautiful. Next weekend's performance wraps up the show.

Last night James and I went to see Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Ben Stein's documentary revealing the censorship of American scientists who even suggest that Intelligent Design might possibly be a theory leading to the understanding of how life began. He interviews some of the top evolutionists and the scientists who have lost their funding, websites, and positions because of their connection to the simple words: Intelligent Design. Highly entertaining for a documentary, Expelled provides one of the most thought-provoking dialogues regarding evolution and Intelligent Design that I've ever encountered. If you can support Stein's work by catching this movie in the theater, I highly recommend it. Bring your junior high and high school kids, too. It's great fodder for discussion!

Today I'm hoping to get over to the TACA (Tennessee Association of Craft Artists) Festival at Centennial Park at least for a little while. While I find malls and flea markets largely junky and depressing, inspiration abounds at gatherings of artisans! Handmade goods are priceless.