flminivanmama

Planning 15 lessons about Israel

2008-08-17T12:09:00.005-05:00

I have to plan 15 lessons about Israel, each about 1 hour long. I want to get some significant headway done today since school starts 9/7. This is for 6th graders.

1st lesson I plan to do a timeline, make a collage, and assign characters from history that they will present later in the semester.

15th lesson will be Israel out of ice cream LOL

in between.... hmmmm...

I have a lesson plan about the bumper sticker song, I'd like to make some Israeli food, do something with poems, art and music about Israel maybe in stations where they rotate. That's three right there... I have something with the outline of Israel done into drawings and I will hang those up and they pick which ones they identify with and we discuss why.... Political cartoons....

OK that's 7. 8 more to go.

:)

Ack!

2008-08-16T21:20:00.003-05:00

I was reminded by a friend that I hadn't posted on my blog in a while.... I didn't realize the last post was from Passover!

And here I am getting ready for Rosh Hashannah LOL

OK really just getting ready for a new school year to start, day after tomorrow the boys go back to school!!

I am also thinking about my RH menu. LOL

new imix - for Passover

2008-03-21T09:29:00.001-05:00

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

2008-02-02T15:10:00.001-05:00

This gives me chills. The speech is amazing and insipiring.

"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can."

February meal plan

2008-01-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

All side dishes depend on what we get in the produce co-op

1st - LLL potluck - I think I am bringing eggplant salad and pita bread
2nd - Fish Sticks
3rd - French Toast (we love the recipe in Deceptively Delicious
4th - Tortilini Soup
5th - Tacos - I make refried beans for these
6th - Spagetti with meat sauce & possibly meat balls too. I have frozen meat sauce. I'll make meatballs if I have time
7th - Lasagna Rolls from the freezer
8th - Chicken Nuggets or Roast Chicken
9th - Make your own Sushi
10th - Pancakes
11th - Meatball Soup
12th - Tortilini with Alfredo Sauce
13th - Stew
14th - The boys asked for a Valentine's surprise. I have no idea what to make.
15th - It will probably be friends & family night for the new Bonefish
16th - Tilapia
17th - Eggs in a Basket
18th - Matzah Ball Soup
19th - Nachos
20th - Lamb Chops
21st - Pizza
22nd - Roast Chicken
23rd - Salmon
24th - Eggs and Cheese on English Muffins
25th - Pumpkin Soup
26th - Tacos
27th - Meatloaf
28th - Exploding Pasta Night. I have no idea what this means or what to make. It's what the boys wrote for that night.
29th - Chicken Cutlets

Flat Stanley tours the Treasure Coast

2008-01-27T18:22:00.001-05:00

We recieved a Flat Stanley in the mail and had so much fun taking him on a tour of the treasure coast!

We went to the beach, The Indian River, parks, and a shell shop.

He saw aligators, manatees, sandhill cranes, a loggerhead turtle, and a giant conch shell.

He went treasure hunting, climbed a palm tree for a coconut, and of course had ice cream (gator tracks, natch)

Here's a slideshow

January meal plan

2007-12-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

1st - 7 layer dip with blue corn tortilla chips
2nd - maybe stew if I get meat. I have a 1/2 pound right now in the freezer so maybe I can make an itty bitty stew LOL
3rd - pizza
4th - roast chicken
5th - roll your own sushi
6th - scrambled eggs with english muffins (I've been putting cauliflower puree in the eggs ala deceptively delicious. I put a lot more than she says. very very yummy)
7th - meatball soup - Jacob requested this. I think he means Italian wedding soup. or I can try like a hamburger soup?
8th - enchiladas
9th - sausage and roasted veggies
10th - homemade ravioli
11th - chicken tenders (again using the deceptively delicious meathod of pureeing veggies and dipping in those before the breadcrumbs)
12th - tilapia (I have some Kate's style in the freezer from work)
13th - pumpkin pancakes
14th - tomato soup with wild rice
15th - tacos
16th - spagetti with meat sauce
17th - eggplant parm
18th - roast chicken
19th - salmon
20th - french toast
21st - mushroom, beef & barley soup
22nd - enchilada pie
23rd - penne with kale and sausage
24th - falafel
25th - chicken nuggets
26th - roll your own sushi
27th - pancakes
28th - tortilla soup
29th - tostadas
30th - hamburgers & hotdogs
31st - lasagna rollups I have in the freezer

now I need to plan a trip down to the butcher

Mini-me speaks

2007-12-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

This morning Ben says, "I can't wait to see what I get for Hanukkah!"

and then Max answers, "It's not ABOUT the presents! It's ABOUT the MIRACLE of the oil."

I honestly had to check to see if my mouth was moving or not.

See - they really DO listen!

More proof, if you needed it, that I am crazy.

2007-12-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

I used a cookie cutter to cut dreidel shapes out of cooked lasagna to put in soup.

Hanukkah songs imix

2007-11-23T22:59:00.000-05:00

gave the kitchen aid a workout

2007-11-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

I just baked a whole bunch of stuff for the synagogue's bake sale tomorrow.

3 challahs, 2 loaves of bread (1 honey wheat and 1 oatmeal-10 grain cereal). 4 dozen cookies (2 dozen triple ginger & 2 dozen hallowen candy cookies), and a tray of chocolate-black bean-oat bars

Yum.

All on my 50 year old (at least) kitchen aid mixer. (you can see it in this picture). Well the cookies and the brownies. Unfortunately this model doesn't support a dough hook so I make my bread by hand.

weekly meal plans

2007-11-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

Actually we're doing a monthly plan. Essentially it's Breakfast for Dinner (BFD) on Sundays, soup or stew on Mondays, Mexican on Tuesdays, Meat on Wednesdays, Pasta on Thursdays, Chicken on Fridays (Shabbat dinner), and Fish on Saturdays... with plenty of wiggle room. This was all to get the kids to eat better and provide some predictability.

I've stuck with it over a month and it's going well. Ben, who eats *nothing* has actually been taking a bite or two.

I've tried a few recipes from Deceptively Delicious with great success. I already was the master at adding vegetables to food but it's nice to have a few new recipes.

Anyway - next week's meal plan: We switched BFD to tonight because Ed will be home tomorrow and wants the falafel that was planned for tonight. So
Sunday: Falafel (with home meade pita because I can't eat the cardboard they sell in the supermarket
Monday: Cellar Soup (a recipe from the food network minus the bacon)
Tuesday: Make your own tacos
Wednesday: Shephards' pie
Thursday: Thanksgiving :)
Friday will probably be Thanksgiving leftovers
Saturday: Tilapia and piroges and some kind of veggie

For Thanksgiving we're making apple and pear bisque, turkey, root vegetable and wild rice salad, green beans, rolls, mashed sweet potatoes, apple pie, and pumpkin roll. We're having 9 adults and 3 kids.

roll your own sushi night

2007-11-10T17:32:00.001-05:00

It came out pretty well but I made way too much rice for the amount of seaweed I had on hand. Plus the rice still seemed a teeny bit "crunchy" don't know if I didn't use enough water or if I didn't cook it long enough.

Also I ended up only making a couple of types of roll - the boys wanted lox, cream cheese and masago only pretty much. And the tamago was a big hit. I made one with tuna salad and sprouts that was delish too.

I never used the crab stick or the vegetarian stuff I bought and the Japanese mayo was a waste of money.

The easiest way to do it was the hand rolls and the gunkan (battleship) pieces. So we didn't need the rolling mat for either of those.

Sukkah is up!

2007-09-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

And looking good :) I'd really like to weatherproof it this year. I have to go to the hardware store across the street and see what they have.

And another imix

2007-09-14T17:54:00.000-05:00

These are fun :)

I made an itunes mix of great songs

2007-09-14T06:52:00.000-05:00

last pictures

2007-09-12T19:22:00.000-05:00

Apples and Honey (some had already started to brown before I remembered to grab the camera)

Hot Honey Sauce (boy was this delicious)

here's the recipe -
1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 c peeled & cut up apples
1/3 c apple cider
1/2 c raisins
1 T honey
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t cinn.

melt butter in sauce pan, add apples and cider & cook till apples are soft. add remaining ingredients and mix till blended and hot. About 5 more minutes.

And here's the finished dessert - cobbler, ice cream & sauce.

Almost done.

2007-09-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Pomegrante Chicken using this recipe - I also squeezed some honey on at the end. Pan drippings are already removed to make gravy.

Stuffing

Still have to make green beans, sauce for dessert & set the table.

purple tzimmes

2007-09-12T07:46:00.001-05:00

Very purple tzimmes (I used beets)

Matzah ball soup - cooking away....

more cooking pictures

2007-09-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Bread baked for stuffing. Yum.

I cut up all the veggies I'll need to make things easier. Delicata squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, mushrooms, garlic, parsnips, onions, and celery.

That's sugar on top of the challah - special for Rosh Hashannah :)

Rosh Hashannah Baking

2007-09-11T09:03:00.001-05:00

The most gorgeous round braid I've ever made! And it was really simple. I followed these instructions and it came out beautifully.

I also made pear and apple cobbler using this recipe (the 2nd one on the page) and I plan to serve it with vanilla ice cream I made today and hot honey sauce - both from the Ben & Jerry's cookbook

More pictures later

La Leche League International Conference and Downtown Chicago Pictures

2007-07-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

I just returned from the La Leche League 5oth Anniversary Conference in Chicago and I'm still on a high - so many great speakers and moments.

I was also completely taken with the coolness of Chicago. I took tons of pictures.

Here's a picture of all the nations gathering before the opening parade. there were 42 countries represented at the conference

Here's the parade itself - not a great picture

The 50th anniversary "cake"

My roomate and I were convinced the founders would jump out of it. we were close LOL

This is my roommate - she's a leader who lives near me - the next group south - she and I had SO much fun as roomies. we were both childless (at the conference). I brought wine and she declared to anyone who would listed she had "the best roommate ever" - so were walked to the nearest supermarket every afternoon to restock ;)

I got to sit with Edwina Froelich, one of the LLL founders, at lunch!

So much for my mom saying "no one breastfed 30 years ago" This banner is from my hometown and the woman sitting at the table said it was at least 30 years old. I spied it at the world's fair - which was awesome

Billy Dean, who sings "Let Them Be Little", sang at the conference!!

And I got my picture taken with him!!

OK now alllll my Chicago pictures!

One of the two public libraries near the hotel

A cool walkway designed by Frank Gehry

The reflecting bean at millenium park

A water fountain at Millenium Park - projected videos of faces - they were pretty funny

I opened my window of my room and stuck my camera out to take this picture. of course it was only my view if I could do the same with my head :lol

the room was gorgous btw but I forgot to take pictures. TWO bathrooms!! I wish I could have taken one home with me :lol

Lake Michigan

This globe exhibit by the field museum and the aquarium - Cool Globes

This one's for all the knitters

Pickles!

2007-06-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

So I got pickling cucumbers in my organic veggie co-op & I promised Jacob I'd make him pickles because he LOVES them. Problem is, I hate pickles and have no idea what they should taste like. Why is this a problem? Because the recipes on line are all so vastly different from one another it isn't even funny! The hugest difference seems to be, some call for vinegar and some don't. Some call for dill, some say to use a hot canning process & some just say to leave out for three days... some are ready in 2 months, some in days... some use salt, some use pickling spices, etc, etc. ugh.

I want to make the kind of pickles you get at a sandwich shop or a kosher deli.

I am trying two different recipes this one and one someone posted on mothering.com

"1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, and pickling spice-heat it all together and let it cool. In your container/jar, add your pickling cukes, dill and garlic. Pour the cooled mixture in the container, cover and let it sit on your countertop for a few days. That's it! You can then pop them in the fridge if you want them cold."

the main difference between the two is one calls for vinegar & no salt & one calls for salt & no vinegar... They both will be ready in 2 or 3 days, didn't require heat sealing & don't require refigeration till they are pickled.

I hope he likes them.

Boogie Boards!!

2007-06-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

We met a friend at the beach and she brought boogie boards with her! The boys really enjoyed them.

Click each photo to see it larger.

Lowes Wood Workshop

2007-06-19T20:52:00.001-05:00

Too cute!! Why I never made it to one of these before is beyond me!!

2007-06-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

Ben on a nature walk in Hobe Sound. We had a nice memorial day. My in laws came over and I bought a cheap bar b que.

What kind of world do you want

2007-04-18T14:31:00.000-05:00

The band five for fighting is generously donating $0.49 to Autism
Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed the funding goes toward
research studies to help find a cure. Please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we
can help them to surpass this goal.

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/213154

Jacob Singing the 4 questions

2007-04-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

Disney Anniversary Trip

2007-04-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

Since the scrapblog post doesn't seem to be working here are my pictures
We had a drink in (almost) every country in EPCOT

Black & Tan in Great Britan and then we went back the second night for a cider

Grand Marnier slushie in France - we also had a veggie quiche there

No drink but we had baklava in Morocco (we also did not have a drink or a snack in Canada or US)

In Japan we had plum wine and I ate the plum LOL (forgot to take pictures the whole first day - I only have a photo of the slushie in France because I text messaged Colleen)

In Norway we had a Viking Coffee (baileys & coffee liquor) & a lefsne (potato bread rolled up with butter & cinnamon sugar) (first stop of the second day)

In China we had a peach schnapps and oolong tea slusie that was delicious

White wine and a pretzel in Germany (the pretzel was nothing special)

In Italy we had a pinot grigio chardonay blend.

On our way back to Future Wold we had a Fiesta Margarita in Mexico

Then we tasted sodas from around the world in the little coca cola shop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed tried on hats in almost every shop to show the boys

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our anniversay itself was filled with Disney Magic - when we checked in they gave us Happy Anniversary buttons to wear and *everyone* wished us happy anniversary all weekend long.

At Narcossees they wote "Happy 10th Anniversary Mr & Mrs. Mass" at the top of our menus

They made this picture out of fondant of Cinderalla & Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty & Prince Phillip

It was edible of course!

On the way out of The Grand Floridian of course we had to try on the Mickey Bride and Groom Ears

At EPCOT the next day I posed in front of the Minnie Topiary

At Boma the morning we left the brought us a plate of cookies with mickey sprinkles and "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate

Disney Pictures!

2007-04-01T09:17:00.001-05:00

Ed and I went to EPCOT for our 10th anniversary. This was one of the best vacations I have EVER had. We spent 2 days in the World Showcase of EPCOT, 6 countries 1 day & 5 the next. We got to wander in and out of every shop. We had a drink and a snack in each country which was fun and delicious. Then on Friday night we came back for Extra Magic Hours to ride all the rides.

For dinner on the first night we went to Narcossees. They wrote "Happy 10th Anniversary Mr & Mrs. Mass" on our menus and they made a dessert with theis fondant sheet that they had airbrushed Cinderella & Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty & Prince Phillip on - it was beautiful (and edible!).

We went to Bomas for breakfast and they gave us a card signed by all the staff and a plate with cookies that they had writen Happy Anniversary on in chocolate. Yum.

Trying out this new scrapblog

2007-03-28T07:21:00.001-05:00

Passover tip

2007-03-27T06:49:00.000-05:00

How to break matzah in two even halves - in Japanese!

Max pushing Jacob

2007-03-17T16:11:00.001-05:00


Wheee! Jacob still needs a push to get going.

Ben riding

2007-03-17T15:21:00.001-05:00

Had to get him training wheels.

What a nightmare. We went to a bike shop to get Ben training wheels and get Max's old bike fixed up for Jacob. What we should have done was returned Ben's bike and bought one WITH training wheels and bought Jacob a new bike.

All together it cost us over $200 - 2 new bikes, training wheels, having the old bike fixed up, etc. And all Ben was worried about was that his bike didn't have a water bottle [rollseyes] so of course add that on...

Then when we went to the bike shop (aptly named The Bike Shop) the boys were being boys and walking around and touching, etc. truthfully IMO not being "that bad" (especially since I know what they are capable of!) and they asked us to leave the store!

I would have left entirely but we had already paid for the training wheels, and had them put on and had the second bike fixed, I was just picking it up and waiting for Ben's traiing wheels to be put on (since it's a 20in bike the axle was too short for training wheels - I had tried to do it myself but I couldn't rethread the nut.) So I was stuck with continuing the transaction.

When I went back in to pay I said for that much money they could have been a little nicer. I said it nicely, honestly. The woman said I was screaming at her, the man told me I was the mother, I needed to control my children (Oh how I hate that), that for "a few dollars" he didn't need to put up with me, and finally that they were going to call the police.

Needless to say we'll never go back there.

Max riding his bike

2007-03-17T14:59:00.001-05:00


3/17 - one week. He's got it!

New bikes!!

2007-03-11T18:03:00.000-05:00

The boys turned 7! We got new bikes - Max took to it right away (though braking is a problem ;)) Ben needs some more practice & some training wheels maybe.

Have a Grape Purim!

2007-03-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

This year's Shalach Manot

The Ten Plagues In Chocolate

2007-03-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm sooo buying these!

Evil Zionist Balloons of Death

2007-01-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

The Hizbullah version

vs.

What really happened

Festival of Lights

2006-12-16T10:24:00.001-05:00

my synagogue does this really cool thing on the shabbat that falls during hanukkah (this year that was last night and also the last night but I think they only do it last night) where every family brings their menorah & lights it in the front of the sanctuary and they turn out the lights and do the service by the light of the menorahs.

I took pictures

Screaming potato latke

2006-12-15T18:32:00.000-05:00

For full effect you need to play this over and over since it is so short. We filmed it last year but it never gets old. Poor potato.... Max is really doing a number on it.

We have a diagnosis

2006-12-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

Jacob has autism. Now we'll see what difference having a name makes, if any. Yesterday we met with the pediatric neurologists at the Dan Marino center. Today his teacher sent home a big packet of his work and said "Jacob has declared a war on schoolwork." Um, thanks.

Packed for the cruise!

2006-11-16T20:13:00.000-05:00

We are leaving on our first cruise on Saturday! I'm pretty excited. It's on Royal Carribean Jewel of the Sea & it stops in San Juan, Antigua, St. Martin, St Thomas, and Nassau. My in laws are celbrating their 50th anniversary (with a renewal of their vows) and are taking the whole mishpocha (including the machetunim! - My parents are coming too)

I took some pictures of the fancy schmancy outfits I packed.

Sorry these pictures are awful - I took them with my cell phone...

really high heels - the ones in the back are spikey heeled brown suede and the ones in the front are black velvet.... they are covered with sequins and are wedges...

dressy top, velvet skirt, velvet shoes

dressy low cut gold lace top & I had fabric added in the decolette because it really was too low cut... same velvet skirt, the lace stockings, and low black heels

brown lace top, brown shirt, killer brown heels

look how long my hair is!

Hakuna Matata in Hebrew :)

2006-10-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Preserving Sukkot

2006-10-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

If any holiday is most worthy of preserving it is, beyond a doubt, Sukkot (in my opinion). When I read this post on the Velveteen Rabbi's blog last year I knew I had to make etrog preserves. Like hers mine wouldn't set so I followed a few different web sites' advice to reboil, adding more pectin and sugar. I ended up oversetting them but they still tasted fine. To carry along the fall theme I used apple cider where ever the recipe called for water.

Last year I managed to get 3 etrogim from various people, this year I just had 1 so I only got 2 jars of jam. I'll use one for Tu B'Shevat and one for next Sukkot. My sons and I also planted the seeds in the hopes of growing an etrog tree.

Next year I am thinking of making candied peel instead of jam.

Etrog Preserves

1 etrog
1 knob of ginger
1.5 c apple cider (or water)
1.5 c sugar
1 package of pectin

cut up etrog as small as you'll want it in the marmalade.
put it in a bowl with 1.25 cups of cider. cover with saran wrap and leave at room temp. overnight.

Put etrog and liquid in a saucepan and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Process jars and lids in hot water bath. leave in hot water or put in dishwasher on heated dry.

Take ginger and .25 cups of cider and puree. Strain and add liquid to pot. Bring to boil, add sugar and pectin. Start stirring and keep stirring until jam is set. this can take a while. take a cold spoon and remove a spoonful of jam. Bring it to room temp and touch it to see if the jam feels about the thickness/ consitency you want.

Pour into jars, seal & invert for 5 minutes. Flip over and let cool. Touch the lid to see if lids sealed - if not you'll need to freeze or refridgerate.

If you don't know how to make jam here are step by step instructions

Do the lulav shake!

2006-10-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Our sukkah is up!

2006-10-04T19:35:00.000-05:00

Minus the schack! I swore last year I was going to buy a bamboo mat for the roof but our sukkah had to be rebuilt from scratch this year since the original did not weather Wilma, Frances, Jeanne, Ivan, et al well (not from being up but from being stored outdoors).... so the money just was not there.

Our sukkah came out great. We had to make it about half the size that we are used to since it needed to fit on our patio (we moved into a developement with an association & lots of rules). I had to actually get permission to put this up!

We put two trellises (that Ed edged with wood that was about 1 inch wide and about .5 inches thick) together with door hinges - we made two sets of those & those actually formed the two corners. We just fastened the two sets together with cable ties & made a roof structure. the whole thing can be stored in three pieces and those sets can be folded... pretty cool!

Here is it without all the decorations or the palm fronds

Next year I will get the mat - even though we love the look of the palm fronds the stress of looking for them drives me a little nuts.

So Ed told me that he does not enjoy attending Chabad & thinks I am sending the kids mixed messages. He went to an Orthodox synagogue growing up and did not enjoy it at all. He also said if the kids sat in services at Chabad that they'd get just as many dirty looks since they can't sit still. It's just that they can leave and run around outside there and can't at the Reform synagogue. He's probably right, they will NOT sit still. I do wish they'd sit in services - at least till like Lecha Dodi (like if we could make that our agreement) but they will not - and as with food I just can't force them but I can & do eat healthy around them & hope/pray that it will eventually make a difference!

He likes the same things I do about the Reform synagogue - womens' role in services, music, social action, innovative ideas, tunes, etc. but is not around on a daily basis and has no idea how hard it is for me to just keep going against the tide. And his feelings about Chabad are gut feelings. He even said "I'm sorry you are getting upset but this is just the way I feel" - can't argue with that!

I just love how welcome we feel... how cared for and taken in - I don't get that anyplace else here. The only other place that I felt like that was at the Reconstructionist synagogue in Broward.

sigh.

Tashlich Joke

2006-09-24T13:27:00.000-05:00

On the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, there is a ceremony called Taslich. Jewish people traditionally go to the ocean or a stream or river to pray and throw bread crumbs into the water. Symbolically, the fish devour their sins. Occasionally, people ask what kind of bread crumbs should be thrown. Here are suggestions for breads which may be most appropriate for specific sins and misbehaviors......

For ordinary sins.......................White Bread
For impoliteness sins...............French Bread
For particularly dark sins.........Pumpernickel
For complex sins......................Multigrain
For twisted sins........................Pretzels
For tasteless sins.....................Rice Cakes
For sins of indecision...............Waffles
For sins committed in haste....Matzoh
For sins of chutzpah.................Fresh Bread
For substance abuse...............Stoned Wheat
For use of heavy drugs.............Poppy Seed
For petty larceny.......................Stollen
For committing auto theft.........Caraway
For timidity/cowardice..............Milk Toast
For ill-temperedness................Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity..........Nut Bread
For not giving full value.............Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism..........Yankee Doodles
For excessive irony...................Rye Bread
For unnecessary chances........Hero Bread
For war-mongering....................Kaiser Rolls
For dressing immodestly..........Tarts
For causing injury to others.......Tortes
For lechery and promiscuity......Hot Buns
For abrasiveness.......................Grits
For dropping in without notice...Popovers
For overeating.............................Stuffing
For impetuosity............................Quick Bread
For indecent photography...........Cheesecake
For raising your voice too often..Challah
For pride and egotism.................Puff Pastry
For being overly smothering.......Angel Food Cake
For laziness..................................Any long loaf
For trashing the environment......Dumplings
For telling bad jokes/puns..........Corn Bread

Dennis Leary takes on Mel Gibson

2006-09-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is great!

Gotta get a get!

2006-09-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Don't buy your sukkah from succah.com. He won't give his ex-wife a get.

It's almost Rosh Hashanah!!

2006-09-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

Yay! I love the holidays! No new clothes for me this year, unfortunatly... But I will be cooking! Every year I try to make as many simanim as possible (minus the sheep's head). Most of the simanim are based on how the foods taste or look or a pun on their names in Hebrew, Yiddish, or Aramaic. I had my sixth grade sunday school class & also my sons come up with some other foods that would be symbolic using the same idea. My sons decided to eat bananas for an appealing year :)
The dishes I'll be bringing (we are guests both nights) are braised leeks & beet greens, a pumpkin challah, roasted carrots, beets, leeks, & winter squash, a banana flax date chocolate chip cake, and a honey cake.

Concerns about Jacob & Ben

2006-09-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

Jacob was the EASIEST baby - never ever cried, never ever got upset, very laid back & easy going. I remember a friend even called me once after a playdate to check that he was OK because he cried during the playdate and she said she had never heard him cry before!

when he turned three things changed *drastically* - a lot I initially attributed to him just being very very 3 - but then three & a half came along with no noticable improvement, 4 - no change, 4.5 no change, and here we are at 5..... still the same.

withdrawn, strange outbursts, uncontrolable screaming, high highs & low lows.... and some speech & communication issues too.

The rabbi & the kindergarten teacher thankfully have approached me with kindness and concrete ideas but everyone before this has said "there's *something* wrong, we don't know what it is & we can't help you"

When I took him to the school district initially (On the Y's insistance) they said there is nothing wrong with him. My doctor (a GP who is also a friend & who also has 3 boys) says he's a normal kid - but I know he's not. He's been asked to leave 2 preschools & been threatened to be asked to leave at 2 others (one of which, the Y, we pulled him out of & one we just managed to hang in till camp started LOL)

so anyway after camp the rabbi (the camp director) approached me and said "I feel he has special needs but I don't know what they are" and within a week of kindergarten she called me and said "Well I can't do diagnoses but in my 35 years as a teacher I've seen a lot of kids with these kinds of issues and this is what they had..." and she mentioned aspergers and tourettes. I also said I have wondered if he's bipolar and she said it could be that too.

the next step she felt - after I fill out all the paper work she sent me - is neurological testing.

truthfully I'll be happy if I have an answer A) if he needs medicine or special help I want to get it for him... and it will be NICE to be able to say to the people who say to me "can't you control your kid?" "Yes, I'm trying but he has XYZ"

So I'm GLAd he'll get the help he needs & I KNEW somthing was wrong (though I didn't know what)

Ben's teacher feels he still has a lot of delays - gross motor & fine motor. she said that with preemies they'll catch up and then when other kids move ahead they have to catch up again. so she's refering him for testing as well.

He also DOES NOT eat. I mostly ignore it but it really is starting to be an issue. he is constantly tired and weak and complaining that his legs, etc hurt & I know it is because he isn't getting proper nutrition. He tastes things different from other people too I think - like he'll say that something that is sweet is sour & he'll spit it out.

I was flipping through the channels last nigh & caught a bit of "real life stories from the ER" and they had a kid who had scurvy!! Same story - will NOT eat... and the social worker came in and told the parents "you're the parents, you have to act like it. Of course he doesn't want brocolli but he needs it" and I was practically in tears watching it because I can NOT make them (Bens the worst but Max also...) eat heathy foods. at least Max will eat some things - some fruits... plus eggs and a bite or two of chicken. Ben nothing. no fruit, no veggies, no protein other than dairy. I give him vitamins but I know that isn't enough. He'll eat cream cheese and jelly, macaroni & cheese, cereal, bagels, and waffles. and that's about all I can think of. yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream. not smoothies though - I've tried.

Thinking about pediasure...

Some more recent Layouts

2006-08-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why some of these are tiny. I scanned them all at the same time & stitched them all at the same time & uploaded them all at the same time... it's a mystery I guess...

Two outrageous stories in Florida politics

2006-08-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

FPL, Florida's Power company has already spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars to get one Republican defeated in the primaries and is ready to spend up to a million more to get him defeated if he makes it to the general elections.

According to the state Division of Elections database, that single $225,000 donation was the largest FPL has made to any political party or group during the past decade.

"They don't want somebody who's going to fight for the people to win this race," said Crist, who has angered the utility by opposing some of its attempts to pass on increased costs to consumers. "You'd have thought it would be much smarter to use that money to make sure their poles don't fall down after a hurricane."

Outrageous. And I wondered why my bill nearly doubled starting in June. Funny, I thought it was the increased fuel costs. Or the after effects from the hurricanes... That's MY money they are spending and I find it completely unacceptable.

Here's another lovely one. G-d chooses the leaders and evidently he only likes Christians. Thanks Katherine, I had no idea. Don't worry, you never had my vote in the first place.

Max lost his first tooth!

2006-08-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

It's been loose all summer.... in the beginning he wouldn't wiggle it

or evenlet us talk about it but for the last week he's been really

ready for it to come out... and tonight he wrapped a washcloth around

it & gave it a tug and out it came!

6.5 years old... 1st tooth

Jacob is swimming too!!!

2006-08-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

I am so glad we moved into a complex with a pool - I am now the mama of three little swimmers!!

Ben's been swimming since around the same time he could walk but neither of the other two would even try!

Max used to try a little and then either we'd wait too long before going to a pool again or he'd get scared... also he's the type of person who won't attempt something till he knows he will do it and do it well and not fail at all.

Jacob if he ever ventured into the pool at all, which was rare, he certainly wouldn't leave the steps.

We moved into this place what, three weeks ago?

We've been going to the pool in the complex every single afternoon.

Max started swimming within the week, although he won't leave the shallow end, he's jumping in and swimming back and forth like he's been doing it forever.

By about a week Jake started walking over to the wall, which was pretty major for him, and two days ago he started swimming with a noodle across his chest and under his arms.

Today out of the blue he starts swimming!! I can't believe it!! I'm just busting with joy

First day of school!!!

2006-08-09T06:41:00.000-05:00

Max is swimming!!!!

2006-07-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Almost all moved in!

2006-07-22T18:11:00.000-05:00

Whee! :D

New house pictures

2006-07-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just my monitor or my photo taking ability but the house is way brighter than it looks in these photos

Front of the villa

entryway & living room - this painted wall is way prettier in person. In the picture it looks like a terrible shade of pink

they enclosed the patio - this will be a craft/ computer room, I think

dining room

kitchen

boys' bathtub

boys' bathroom (they want me to do it in spongebob!) (natch)

master bath (step down shower)

master vanity

boys' closet

Finally finally did some scrapping

2006-06-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

I am all caught up from January now! Thank goodness, as those pictures were sitting on my craft table mocking me everytime I went into the garage to do laundry. Just what I needed, another reason to avoid doing laundry!

My friend sent me a care package with a bunch of pretty scraps of paper and I was finally inspired to get moving

The Craig Taubman concert! Used a tag from the Jewish Scrappers tag swap

Planting parsley seeds on Tu B'Shevat. I printed the words to The Garden Song" (inch by inch, row by row...) on the green paper. It looks really pretty in 12x12...

The twins' birthday. My friend made that tag in a swap.

Purim - Making Hamentachen & one of Max's costumes. The title is from a Jewish Scrappers' swap. The patterned paper is from my friend's care package.

I made this title a looong time ago and then never used it. It was perfect for the March of Dimes Walk America page I wanted to do. I made t-shirts for the boys with an iron on picture from when they were born with their name, gestational age and weight at the top and "that was me then" all printed on the back & on the front it said "and this is me now!"

Passover. Like those frog punchies? This morning there was a frog in the garage! Coincidence? I think not...

Jacob's graduation from Pre-K. I need to add something to this page - I want to buy white rub on letters.

A photo of my best friend's and my feet after a pedicure! I've been meaning to do this LO forever. It came out great. Needs some journaling though.

Cute Cute Cute

2006-06-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

So I got a sweet LLL coloring sheet today that I gave to the kids and we started talking about how they nursed. Ben weaned when I was pregnant with Jacob because my milk dried up, but Max kept nursing. So they wanted to know how long they nursd and some other things and I told Ben he weaned because I was pregnant with Jacob and he said "Mooom (you know how they say that), you SHOULD have grown a third boobie!" bwahaha

And then Jacob wanted to know if he nursed on "Ben's boobie" :)

On that note here is one of their latest favorite jokes:

"what kind of bee makes milk?"

"a BOO-bee"

=:o

BIG BOYS!

2006-05-26T07:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my little preemie twins' last day of kindergarten. sniff sniff. Where oh where does the time go???

Still don't know anything more about what is happening next, but that's OK. Pretty sure *something* is happening...

Today's the day?

2006-05-24T07:27:00.000-05:00

Hoping I find out today what the immediate future holds. Might be moving soon.

In two days my big boys are done with Kindergarten! I can hardly believe it. Camp starts right up, which is perfect. They are excited about camp & Jacob is excited to start Kindergarten next year.

We'll be seperating the twins next year in first grade. Hopefully this is the best decision - I never ever feel like I know if I am making the correct decisions - one of the things I hate about life. sigh.

I feel like Ben is held back by Max. And Max is just always so unhappy - I have no idea what to do about that. I am hoping that what may lie in store for next year might help....

eek!

2006-05-02T18:15:00.000-05:00

Once again weeks have gone by without me posting... sigh. I really have nothing to write about though. We had a fantastic Passover - we hosted the second seder and it was just lovely. Very meaningful!

The local area midwives just passed a resolution that they can attend a VBAC with a prior VBAC which is fantastic news!

uh, OK that's all I can think of....

Ben & Max's sixth birthday party!

2006-03-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

After a two year hiatus from birthday parties I decided to have a very small one for Ben and Max this year (why? because they BEGGED me for one!)

I much prefer small family gatherings and a going to do something very special but if this what what they wanted...

I helped them with a guest list (they invited eight friends - a prefect number!) and a plan. They wanted a sponge bob theme and they wanted it at a park.

So we got the permit for a park in the county (free - cool!), bought a pinata (special request from Max) printed some games and activities, as well as invitations and thank you notes from the Nick Jr Website.

Ed and I made up clues for a treaure hunt and put those around the park. The clues led them back to the pavillion where (while they were following the clues) Ed had hung the pinata.

It was a beautiful day and very easy. We planned it at 2 pm so we would not have to serve a meal. We had cake and dixie cups of ice cream, chips, and soda and juice.

They played with some sports equiptment we brought and moved over to the playground at the end of the party.

Here are some pictures. I wish I had gotten a picture of them running after they figured out the first clue... The last picture is the pinata on the playground - Max carried it with him everywhere after we pulled it down.

Oh today we'll merry merry be...

2006-03-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

and nosh some hamentaschen!

In anticipation of Purim, which is in 2 weeks (yippeee!), we made cute shalach manot baskets at tot shabbat last week. The boys were very anxious to fill them and start giving them out.

I used the following recipe from In The Jewish Tradition, which is a beautiful book my mother bought me a few years ago.

You MUST refrigerate the dough overnight - preferably longer!

3/4 c unsalted parve margarine (I just use butter - rather not use trans fats - so mine are not parve)
1 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c OJ
1.5 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

(easy to double recipe since it's 3 sticks of butter that way)

cream butter & sugar
mix in egg, vanilla, & OJ

mix in flour, baking soda & salt

blend well

refrigerate overnight (at least!)

roll out on floured surface. using the rim of a glass make circles. put a teeny amount of filling in the centers (we always just use jelly. I make preserves so I always have a bunch in the pantry). fold up into triangles (pinch corners together well or fold over a little to really close them tight. leave them just open enough so people can see what flavor they got.

bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or so - till golden brown

Enjoy - they came out wonderful!

Celebrate Jewish Life Festival

2006-01-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

We went to a great event at the Boynton Beach JCC yesterday. The morning was two workshops for parents and teachers (and teachers had two more workshops in the afternoon) followed by a free (!) Craig Taubman concert and a family fun day co-sponsored by a local parenting magazine.

The two workshops were great - making family story books and acting out Bible stories.

In the bible story photos we are dressed as slaves in Egypt. We also made up a dance to Avadim Hainu - which I can totally see doing at the Passover seder this year.

At the concert Ben runs up to the stage and asks Craig Taubman to play "The Deli Song" (real name Deli-ightful) and he said "only if you come up here and sing it with me. It was TOO CUTE. I did not have my camera and these pictures were emailed to me. I can't seem to resize them properly. On my screen they looked too big and then I think I made them too small as a result. Oy.

I heart Disney

2006-01-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a last minute quick trip to Disney World. I have so much fun planning the trips and deciding where to eat. Luckily my husband and kids love it all too!
Here are Jake and Max trying on funny hats at World of Disney in Downtown Disney.

Too much Mickey makes you Goofy! Goofy's just a little taller than Ed :)

Jake, Ben, and Max with Goofy.

Enjoying Mickey bars right before the afternoon parade.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I took them on my cell phone.<

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

Yay! It's the return of the annual New Year's Day brunch! After a five year (!) hiatus we had a wonderful brunch with lots of new friends and relatives.
I served some delicious dishes - latkes made with yukon, russet & sweet poatoes (and carrots & sweet onions), challah french toast casserole with etrog marmalade. I couldn't get the marmalade to set when I made it so I kept adding pectin & sugar. Needless to say I had a heck of a time spreading it on the bread last night.
Evidently my new friends are not drinkers - have a ton of rum punch & bloody marys left .
Looking forward to continuing the tradition.

I had a little Dreidel - I made it out of Candy!

2005-12-23T18:13:00.000-05:00

It's a Mitzvah!

2005-12-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

It's a mitzvah!

"Lo alecha ham'lacha ligmor, V'lo ata ben chorim l'hibatil mimena It is not your duty to complete the task but neither are you free to desist from it"
-Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the fathers) 2:21

Next month is Tu Bishevat, the new year of the trees (Jewish Arbor Day) so I figured I would finally sit down and write an article that has been rolling around in my head for a while. Is using cloth diapers a mitzvah? From most Jewish texts it appears that the taking care of the earth we live on is something that is expected of us.

When humans were placed in the Garden of Eden the stated purpose was for them to till it and tend it "Le ovda U Leshomra" (Genesis 2:15). So it is our job to be stewards of the earth.

Additionally the torah prohibits bal tashchit, the waste or unnecessary destruction of any useful resources. (deut 20:19-20). The rabbis teach us not to use more than we need and not to needlessly destroy anything, Therefore, when we create and use disposable diapers we are adding to the environmental burden, as well as breaking a commandment.

Disposable diapers are the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills. Each disposable diapered baby creates an additional 1 ton of garbage! When my family switched from disposable diapers to cloth the amount of garbage we threw away each week was literally cut in half. Additionally, it takes more than 60x the resources to create the disposable diapers that one baby will use for one year then it does to create the cloth diapers that one baby would use in one year.

There is a middrash that says, "When the Holy One Blessed Be He created the first man he took him and showed him all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him - "see my works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are; and I created all of it for you. Be careful not to spoil or destroy my world because if you spoil it, there will be no one after you to repair it." We were entrusted with the Earth as its stewards. It is our job to repair the world, tikkun olam, and the Torah was given to us as our guide.

Most importantly, in Judaism we are told to be "a light unto the nations". The more people that cloth diaper, the better for the environment! So lead by example and make the switch you will be glad you did. And you will be doing a mitzvah!

Copyright ©Andrea Mass, owner Babies in the Sun 2005.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for so many things! Feeling a little more finacially stable (sort of), have a new job I like, My parents & in-laws, my cute kids and husband, my huge weight loss of nearly 60 pounds, the organic produce co-op, that we were really OK after Hurricane Wilma.... Have a great holiday everyone!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2005-10-18T07:34:00.000-05:00

Sukkot - my favorite Holiday!! Every year we put up a booth in our backyard. Last year of course we were evacuated for Hurricane Jeanne and we had to make do with graham cracker sukkot This year we were back to hammering, nailing, hanging, and scrounging for S'chach. This year we used palm fronds like always (found at a neighbor's curb). Next year we are buying a bamboo mat that we can store and reuse.

Rosh Hashanah traditions

2005-10-08T09:54:00.000-05:00

On Rosh Hashannah we went down to the Intracoastal (the Indian River) with our synagogue to perform tashlich, a symbolic ritual in which we examine our shortcomings from the year before and then cast them off - vowing to do better in the coming year. At our synagogue it is a custom to wear white to the ceremony.

Max and Daddy

Max listening to the Rabbi

Casting off our sins. The boys listed time outs at school and aftercare and vowed to be nicer to each other next year.

Cute kids, huh? This might be our Hanukkah Card.

We eat many symbolic foods, including apples dipped in honey.

Yum!

mmmm.

Shanah Tovah u'Metukah everyone!!

Morning Vent

2005-09-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

The other day I saw a car with two bumper stickers. One said "United We Stand". I'm sure you've seen them - with the Patriotric American Flag waving in the backround. On the same car (I live in Florida) is a sticker that says "Why do they call it tourist season if we can't shoot them?"

So I'm wondering, who exactly is it we stand united with? Certainly not the tourists who come here every winter. (The very same tourists who bring much needed business into the region)

Last week a woman in her 80s was parking her car in a supermarket that I often use. I have three young children and I always worry about the way people drive through parking lots, looking for a spot, not looking for children. This woman pulled into what she thought was a spot, completely wedging herself between two cars. In the process she pinned a four year old under her car, hit a woman, and knocked the woman's 10 month old out of her arms. Bystanders had to lift the woman's car to get the four year old.

The local paper has a website with stories on it so I checked the site frequently for upsdates. I didn't know the family but I was worried about her and her children. On this site you can write comments on the news stories. I wish I had copied the comments because they've long since been removed. Quite a few people thought the woman's license should be revoked because she was elderly. Then people started in about how "those New Yorkers" and "those Northerners" that come down here and terrorize us on the roads.

It wasn't long before someone said how "in her New York Jewish accent" she "showed no remorse" when interviewed on the news. Someone else posted that this was racist and then someone else posted "oh please, don't be so PC, just because she hates Northerners she's racist?" Many people jumped to the defense of the woman who hates "New Yorkers"

I've lived here almost 15 years and I've long since learned "New Yorker" means "Jew" to most people down here.

So because she's Jewish she what? Hit the family? Pulled into a spot that wasn't a spot? Showed no remorse? I'm so confused on that aspect.

United we stand, indeed.

Sad.

Shofar Making Workshop

2005-09-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

We made a shofar today at Chabad - it was a blast (hahahaha).

No seriously, it was awesome! I can't believe how nice it came out! I also can't believe it really works.

Pictures are at the bottom of the post.

I wish I had better pictures of the actual work that went into this but the camera was around my wrist and I did most of the work. Next year I'll try to get the boys to do more of the work.

First we picked out one of the goat's horns that was in the box (the shofar can be made from the horn of a ram, a goat, a gemsbok, a kudu, or an ibex), then we determined where to saw off the end by sticking a straightened out hanger through. After that I had to drill and this is where the boys pretty much gave up. Next we sanded and finally shellacked. In the last photo Ben is holding up the shofar you can see the shellac but it dried clear.

Ben and Max really can blow the shofar! They just picked it right up. Jake, not so much. Maybe next year.

I'm really looking forward to the high holidays this year, especially Sukkot. Last year we spent Sukkot at my parents because of Hurricane Jeanne and couldn't put up our sukkah.

The panels have been leaning against my shed for two years, I hope they are still alive! Fortunately, we live across the street from Home Depot if we need new panels...

Ben listening to the Rabbi

Ben and Max listening attentively

Max sanding the shofar

Ben holding up the finished product

One more post tonight

2005-09-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

Go vote for "The Sperm Donor" on Bravo's Situation: Comedy - the reality show devoted to finding the next great American sitcom!

First watch the pilot (about 15 minutes), and then vote for my old friend, Mark. If he wins, he and his writing partner get $50,000 and a Hollywood agent, which could really help him achieve his sitcom-writing dreams...
Voting closes tonight, so hurry!

Mark's blog .

Breastfeeding during a natural disaster

2005-09-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

When an Emergency Strikes Breastfeeding Can Save Lives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2005 ( Schaumburg , IL ) When an emergency occurs, such as the recent Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, breastfeeding saves lives.
Breastfeeding protects babies from the risks of a contaminated water supply. It provides protection against respiratory illnesses and diarrhea--diseases that can be fatal in populations displaced by disaster.
The basics of breastfeeding during an emergency are much the same as they are in normal times. Continuing to breastfeed whenever the baby seems hungry maintains a mother's milk supply and provides familiar comfort. The release of hormones while a mother is breastfeeding relieves stress and anxiety and is calming to both mother and baby.
IF A MOTHER HAS JUST GIVEN BIRTH
If it is within even five days of the birth a mother can have a full milk supply quickly by putting the baby to the breast immediately and breastfeeding the baby, every two to three hours or more frequently. Breast milk is 87% water, so the mother should drink to thirst plus a little bit more. Drinking too much water is not recommended as the mother will be uncomfortable and no additional milk will be produced.
RELACTATION INFORMATION
If a mother has not just recently given birth, but it is up to six months after birth she can relactate by putting baby to the breast, or express the breast, every two hours. Initially she may be producing only drops per day. Her milk will increase by about one ounce every 24 hours. Mother then decreases the amount of formula, or donated human milk from another mother, by about one ounce a day. The younger the baby the sooner it will be to establish a full milk supply.
For more information on breastfeeding during an emergency, check out the La Leche League Web site.
La Leche League Leaders are trained community volunteers who answer questions about breastfeeding. To contact a LLL Leader in the US go to: http://www.lalecheleague.org/WebUS.html or call 800 LA LECHE, Option 4.
Since 1956 La Leche League International, a nonprofit organization now in over 60 countries, has helped mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, and education. (www.lalecheleague.org or 800 LA LECHE).

Nero fiddled while Rome burned

2005-09-02T17:58:00.000-05:00

President Bush, left, plays a guitar presented to him by Country singer Mark Wills, backstage following his visit to Naval Base Coronado, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Bush visited the base to deliver remarks on V-J Commemoration Day. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Hmmm, August 30th? Wasn't there a devestating hurricane that just hit the gulf coast the day before?

And at least Condi has new shoes.

So you may have been wondering, "where's our national guard?" I know I have. Michael Moore has been wondering too. I love this letter.

Haven't posted in a while

2005-08-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

Annoying really. I feel like if I don't have anything important to post about I shouldn't post at all... fine, but then weeks go by without a new post. So here is an official post about all the new, mundane things in my life.

The kids all started school last month and I, after a 5 year hiatus, re-entered the work force. We are buying the house we are renting. We narrowly missed Hurricane Katrina on it's way in.

Ok well that's all I can think of. More later ;)

The perfect formula!

2005-07-11T19:31:00.000-05:00

A while back I wrote about Brad Guigar's comic strip, Greystone Inn and the great attachment parenting story line he had going on! I'm thrilled that he just sent me an email that he published all the strips into a book! what a great way to get the message accross about all things natural parenting related that Mac and Sam went through. The book is called Prodromal Teeth, and Other Perils of Pregnancy and Parenthood and can be preordered for $8. When I was looking at his site I noticed he also put part of that awesome "perfect baby formula" strip onto a t-shirt, mug, etc at cafe press! Too funny... I might just have to get a mug....

Where did all the pictures go?

2005-07-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

I am sorry to say I had to remove the gallery from my site. It came to my attemtion that a diaper fetish site has been stealing pictures of babies in diapers, including from my site. I chose to take all the images down as a result. I apologize to any parents whose pictures might have been on there but I could not allow this. Please see Diaper Images.com for more information

cloth diapers in the comics!!

2005-05-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

Check out Marvin, Choosy Babies Choose Cloth!

So on Fathers' Day do you think they'll honor a single mom?

2005-05-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

He May be a great dad, or he may be an average dad, but he's still a dad.

Hey, guys, we get ONE DAY A YEAR. Could ya just let us have it? Huh?

Okay some other things bugging me as long as I'm on the subject.

This kid in Georgia suspended because his mom called from Iraq during school hours. Nice, huh? There's a problem here. A few problems. We want the soldiers, we support the war, we put yellow magnets on our cars... for what? Support our troops, right? And don't get me started about zero tolerance policies.

George Bush thinks you are "better off" if you make more than $20,000 a year. Boy is he out of touch or what? And Laura Bush is a Desperate Housewife? Please. This cartoon says what I am thinking better than I ever could.

One more while I'm in a bad mood (yeah the house is a mess and mother's day is tomorrow and I waited to long to make a brunch reservation. what can I say.)

I know this is slightly old news but Sesame Street announced Cookie Monster will eat less cookies. BUT they still have McDonalds as a sponsor. hmmmm.

Okay so it's not all gloom and doom look at the family portrait I had done today.
It's missing two of my kids but that's okay, I'm pretty pleased with it.

A community of women

2005-05-01T19:15:00.000-05:00

I just had a lovely Women's Seder at my house. The seder needs work so if you are planning on using it next year, email me - I might have a new improved version by then. Or take what I put together and improve on it yourself.

I had at my home, in my new town, a midwife, a IBCLC who is also an MD (family practioner), a daughter of a Rabbi, an a Jewish Educator. And I was worried I wouldn't meet people and there would be no Jewish life in this small town ;)

Honestly, I am very excited and I hope we can make this a regular thing - maybe even a Rosh Hodesh group. Three of the women have small babies around the same age and two of the women have boys around the same age as my boys. Not only are we all Jewish but we all practice attachment parenting.

So I'm happy. And drinking leftover wine :)

Walk America - March of Dimes

2005-04-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling conflicted, but not TOO conflicted.

I am participating in The March Of Dimes Walk America next week. My twins were born 11 weeks early and while I am quite unhappy (still!) about their time in the NICU and how things went I am not an unrealistic person. I know that they were very lucky to be born in the year 2000 at a hospital with a level III NICU and that even 20 years ago babies born at 29 weeks did not always survive. I know that March of Dimes is to be thanked personally for many of the medications and technologies that saved my preemies.

Here's a page of pictures of the boys in the NICU. They sure were tiny.

Okay, so why am I feeling conflicted? Well one of the corporate sponsors of the Walk is Mead Johnson, makers of infant formula. Who needs breastmilk more than preemies? Did you know the the mother of a premature baby makes different milk than the mother of a full term baby? And did you know that the IQ advantage that breastmilk gives is even more dramatic in preemies? And that breastmilk helps reduce the risk of getting NEC a serious and potentially fatal condition in preemies?

Well, here's hoping that walkers can raise enough funds that they can tell Mead Johnson they don't need them. Ahhh wishful thinking. Anyway here's my personal donation page if anyone wants to donate. You can also email them and let them know what you think.

Baby Carriers!

2005-04-03T20:24:00.000-05:00

I'm in love! Nothing and I mean nothing has made me want more children before. I am done. I have three little boys and I am happy. My husband would like a little girl (awww) but I feel our family is complete. I go to LLL meetings, I hold babies, I go home. Everyone's happy.

Until now. I just hosted a "babywearing party" I want a new baby to buy a pouch, sling, mai tai, wrap, and ergo for! Two women came to do the demo - here are their sites so you can peruse their fabulous wares Heather from Ragamufyn and Ellen from Sand Wraps. You should have seen this handmade PINK silk brocade pouch Heather brought. sigh.

I will sublimate this desire by buying or making one of each carrier mentioned above and show women at LLL meetings how to wear their babies. I found great instructions on the Mamatoto website.

How to fold a cloth diaper

2005-03-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

How to fold a cloth diaper

Many people ask why they are called "prefolds" if you still have to fold them! It is confusing, but essentially cloth diapers used to be long rectangles of gauze, called flats. In fact, when many people think of cloth diapers, they think of those and the complex folds they used to have to do. Prefolds are called prefolds because the fabric is sewn with extra layers, for extra absorbancy, in the middle. A preemie prefold has 2 layers, 4 layers 2 layers (usually written 2x4x2) and a premium prefold has 4x8x4.

Folding a cloth diaper doesn't need to be difficult, and once you learn to do it you can put on a prefold as quickly as you can put on a fitted. In fact many people love the custom fit they can get with a prefold they fold themselves, plus there is an art to it. Also the absorbancy and price can't be beat!

Here are four great folds for a prefold cloth diaper
1. Newspaper fold - you lie the diaper down on the wrap with the thicker part in the middle. Then fold up the front edge so it lines up with the front of the wrap. This makes a lot of padding in the front where a boy pees most but the fold is great for a girl too. Then bring in the two sides so the whole prefold is folded in thirds. Fan out the back a drop to make a pocket for the poop. Lay the baby down on top of the diaper and wrap and close it around him. No pins are needed if the wrap is snug but you may pin or snappi it, if you wish. The bummis and the bumkins both have a little pocket in the front that you can slip the front of the prefold into if you want to. Make sure there is no diaper sticking out - especially around the leg holes.

2. Sidewall (or Jelly Roll) fold - Lay the baby on the prefold, with it completely flat and unfolded. Roll in each side (long side next to thighs), at a slight angle so that the front gets smaller but the back wings stay out all the way. Bring up through legs and fold front if necessary. This fold makes a nice pocket for poop and is great for babies who are not eating solids yet. You can pin or snappi if you wish but if you have a snug wrap you won't need to.

3. Trifold - Take the prefold and put it down on the wrap so the thick padded part runs perpendicular to the diaper. The diaper is laying down the wide way and the top and bottom should be approximately the same height as your wrap. Fold each side in so it is in thirds and fits right in the wrap. This makes a thick pad right in the center. This fold is great for a girl because of the center padding - but it is so simple you'll want to use it for your boys too! Lay the baby down on the wrap and close it up. The bummis and bumkins wraps have pockets in the front if you want but they are not neccessary. Make sure no diaper is sticking out anywhere... especially around the leg holes. This fold has nothing to hold in the poop but the wrap should keep anything from leaking out.

4. The Bikini Twist - this is my favorite fold. Lay the baby on the diaper with the diaper the long way. Then simply twist the diaper all the way over at its midpoint. bring the diaper up and fasten it - either with pins or a snappi. It's so so simple, it looks great, it holds in the poop, and there is a lot of extra diaper at the waist so the diaper fits longer. I recommend this fold when someone calls or emails and says the infant prefold doesn't fit anymore but the premium prefold is too big.

Why choose cloth diapers?

2005-03-27T09:51:00.000-05:00

Chemicals In Disposables

Since the 1960’s the disposable diaper changed from a plastic diaper with a lot of paper fluff to a diaper constructed of a waterproof plastic outer layer, a pad with super absorbent chemicals (absorbs 100x its weight in liquid), and an inner liner. Disposables are made mostly of synthetic materials. Dioxin, the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is a by-product of bleaching paper. The super absorbent chemical, sodium polyacrylate, absorbs and holds fluids in the diaper. Interestingly, tampon companies no longer use this chemical because of Toxic Shock Syndrome. If the chemical isn’t safe to use on an adult, why are disposable diaper companies still having us put this next to our baby’s delicate skin?

The CDC says the following on their website "Children are uniquely vulnerable to toxicants in the environment. Pound for pound, children eat more food, breathe more air, and drink more water. Their hand-to-mouth behaviors and their activities close to the ground increase their chances for exposure to hazardous substances. Their metabolic pathways are immature, so they detoxify and excrete pollutants less efficiently than adults. In addition, children are growing and developing rapidly, which can be disrupted by hazardous substances in the environment. After childhood exposure, they can get diseases that can take many decades to develop."

And most alarmingly, disposable diapers have been linked to male infertility and asthma.

Disposables and Landfill Concerns

About 3.3 million tons of untreated body excrement, which may carry over 100 intestinal viruses, is brought to landfills via disposable diapers every year. This may contribute to groundwater contamination and attract insects that carry and transmit diseases. The average baby will create two tons of bio-hazardous waste that will sit in a landfill for hundreds of years.

Here is a compelling photograph - a girl sitting in front of all the disposable diapers she'd use and next to all the cloth diapers she'd use. Again keep in mind that cloth can be sold or handed down so that stack of cloth diapers can be used for more than one child, but the disposable diapers would always be the same for each child.

Environmental Burden

Manufactures of disposables say energy usage is the same for cloth as disposables, but the fact is that disposables use much more energy than cloth does. After all, it takes a lot more to run a huge factory than a simple washer and dryer.

A famous study was done in 1990 by Arthur D. Little, Inc. The report was commissioned by Procter & Gamble, the company that makes Pampers and Luvs and holds the largest share of the throwaway diaper industry. Not surprisingly, the report concluded that disposables are no worse for the environment than cloth diapers. That study and several others are based on a controversial methodology called "lifecycle analysis," which attempts to measure the environmental impact of energy and resources consumed in the creation, use, and disposal of a product. Defenders of throwaway diapers use this type of analysis to point out that the diaper debate needs to go beyond the single issue of solid waste disposal. Yes, they say, throwaways add unnecessary waste to already-overwhelmed landfills, but reusable diapers take a toll of their own. Laundering can require large amounts of water and detergent, for example. Diaper service delivery trucks waste gas and cause pollution. And the cotton crops that provide material for the diapers are grown with harmful pesticides.

Which factors are measured depends on who's conducting the study. "The science of doing lifecycle analysis has not been well established," says Beaudry. "It leaves open all kinds of questions: Where do you start? Where do you finish? How do you prioritize?" She notes, for instance, that the Little study fails to take into account the amount of water required to flush away the contents of used throwaways as recommended on the box.,/p>

A report released in 1991 by the National Association of Diaper Services and prepared by consultants Lehrburger, Mullen, and Jones challenged the results of the Little study with its own findings:

Compared with reusables, throwaways produce seven times more solid waste when discarded and three times more waste in the manufacturing process.

Effluents from the plastic, pulp, and paper industries are far more hazardous than those from the cotton-growing and -manufacturing processes.

Single-use diapers consume less water than reusables laundered at home, and more than those sent to a commercial diaper service.

Industry data from Franklin Associates and The American Petroleum Institute add to this picture. Findings reveal, for instance, that 3.5 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the 18 billion throwaway diapers that end up in landfills each year. Additionally, the Women's Environmental Network (WEN), a non-profit organization based in London, commissioned the Landbank Consultancy to produce a scientific critique of the studies funded by Procter & Gamble. The consultancy, which used the same raw data and reached markedly different conclusions, reported, among other findings, that throwaways use five times more energy than reusables.

In my family we chose to switch from disposable diapers to cloth diapers to save money. After doing all the research though, we decided we would use cloth at any cost. Afterall you can't put a pricetag on your baby's health or saving the environment.

How much can you save on cloth diapers?

2005-03-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

Use this cloth diaper savings calculator to find out. Don't forget you can use cloth for multiple children or resell them when you are done using them. Can't do that with Pampers.

Great pro breastfeeding comic strip today

2005-03-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

check out this comic strip - Greystone Inn. I guess the character just had a baby and is being quickly persued by formula companies... you know how that is if you ever had a baby. I love how you get MORE cans of free stuff if you check off "I'm going to exclusively breastfeed" on the forms. And they are perfectly timed to arrive about 3 days after your due date - just when you start to worry about your milk coming in.

You can write to the artist at bguigar@yahoo.com

Out and about with cloth diapers

2005-03-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

There are three situations that people worry about cloth diapering - or at least this is what they ask me about the most ;) - diapering on vacation, diapering at daycare, and diapering when out and about on a daily basis. None need to be an issue at all - I mean if your child is being changed there is really not much difference between changing a cloth diaper or changing disposable diaper. The main difference is you have to take the cloth one home with you and the disposable, well you have to dispose of. Here is some of my experience with using cloth out of the house

Daycare/preschool When my kids went to preschool while they were still in diapers I sent them with cloth. I told the teacher, rather than asking her, and I made it as simple for her as possible. I told her to wrap the diaper up, even if there was poop, and send it home as is and I would deal with the mess at home. I wanted them to go with inexpensive diapers that I didn't mind losing (gasp!). But I also needed them to be leak proof and so easy to use that they daycare provider didn't balk at using them. So my only choices were AIOs or pre-stuffed pocket diapers. The least expensive option of those was the AIOs, specifically kushies, so that's what I used. You'll also need a tote bag. The best one for daycare is the medium bummis. The teachers never said "oh they are so cute!" or "they are way easier than I thought they'd be" like I hoped - but they also never complained. So hopefully I showed them that cloth is easy and nothing like it used to be.

Going out When going out you want to make a great impression and of course you want things to be easy. I'll never forget the time I changed my son at the park and a mom asked me, "Are those real diapers?? I'm not sure whether she thought mine were the ersatz diapers or if the plastic earned that fine distinction but she was obviously shocked to see someone using cloth diapers in this day and age.

Whatever diapering method you use you'll learn to do it quickly so it doesn't have to be a chore to change in public. A prefold can go on just as fast as an AIO if you are used to doing it. But to make a good impression on grandma or that mom at the park you might want to have a couple of pretty
bumkins or cute diaper covers, like the bummis super print or a bumkins. You'll also need a wet bag . I usually just wrap the diaper up and stick it in the wet bag and deal with any messes when I get home. Um, just don't leave the diaper bag in the car by mistake.

Vacations We went on a few vacations with cloth, including Walt Disney World and they were NOT difficult. Most hotels have a laundry facility right in the hotel and I would just keep all the dirty diapers in a large bummis tote in the bathroom in the room and then I went to wash them every other night after the kids were asleep. I even have friends who used cloth while camping.

Cloth Diapers 101

2005-03-16T22:21:00.000-05:00

Types of Cloth Diapers
prefold? fitted? pocket diaper? AIO? I just don't get it! Tell me what everything is and what I *really* need.

I know it is confusing at first but it really is pretty simple! You need a diaper - either fitted or a prefold - and you need a wrap. You could also use an All In One diaper (AIO) instead ... which is a diaper and a wrap in one! These are great for grandma's house. Some people like to use them all the time and some people like to use them just for going out. If you are looking for the convinience an AIO can't be beat... but a seperate diaper and wrap are pretty easy too. A pocket diaper is a totally different type of diaper. It is a layer of fleece (nice and soft next to baby's skin. really keeps baby dry!) and a layer of waterproof fabric. These two layers are sewn together on three sides to make a "pocket" You put a prefold or a hemp insert in the pocket. You can use pocket diapers full time or you can use them just for night time. They really keep baby dry!

Your 5 basic diapering choices are
1) a prefold diaper with a wrap
2) a fitted diaper with a wrap
3) All In One Diapers all the time
4) Pocket diapers all the time
5) a combo (like pocket diapers at night and something else during the day and AIO when you go out)

How Many Cloth Diapers to buy

Your best bet is 2 dozen diapers, 4-6 covers and something for nighttime. You'll need 2 or 3 of whatever you choose for nighttime. Most people use a pocket diaper with hemp inserts or a wool cover with a hemp diaper.

What Cloth Diaper System is Best

For newborns I recommend prefolds and proraps. They are inexpensive and newborns grow so fast. Plus they need to be changed a lot. Don't spend your money on something that will be outgrown in a few weeks.The proraps are also great because they have the umbilical cord notch.

When the baby hits 15 pounds he'll be ready for a medium in most brands and you can start trying the fun stuff. If he's going to daycare get a few AIOs. If you liked the prefolds and proraps system stick with that. If not you can experiment with some fitted diapers and different wraps. Buy a sample pack to see which ones you like best, then you can buy a package of your favorites to save money.

Myths about Cloth Diapering
1. Cloth diapers are expensive.
Actually cloth is much cheaper – though the initial outlay is high. Average costs -Prefolds $300
All-in-one diapers $700
Disposables $1500

2. Cloth diapers are hard to use.
Cloth diapers are just about as easy as disposable. Velcro and snap diaper covers make the use of pins obsolete plus no more late night runs to the store. With cloth you just throw your diapers in the wash instead of the trash.

3. My baby has sensitive skin, cloth diapers will cause diaper rash.
Cloth diapers are much friendlier to sensitive skin since they are not filled with chemicals and they are breathable. Plus it is easier to tell with cloth diapers when your baby is wet, so you are apt to change your baby more often.

4. I am on the go too much- I can’t use cloth diapers.
Regardless of where you are - babies need to have their diapers changed. When using cloth diapers, all you need to do is bring along a plastic bag or a waterproof tote bag to put wet or soiled diapers in you take them off of your baby. This is a lot easier than trying to find a trash can to dispose of a plastic diaper.

Stay tuned for the next class: out and about with cloth diapers....

I love it!

2005-03-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

The dodge ram is a perfect reproduction of the female reproductive system! Check it out.

Why does Atkins get such bad press?

2005-03-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

I admit I thought it too. When you are on Atkins all you eat is bacon, eggs, steak, and butter. Not quite sure where I got that impression but everyone that I tell that I'm on Atkins has the same reaction - your teeth will rot, you can't stay on it forever, your cholesterol will skyrocket, your muscles will breakdown, your kidneys will fail... I could go on and on.

Then I read The Book (Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution). Wow! Just what I've been aiming for all along in my house. Cut out trans fats completely and all sugars including high fructose corn syrup. Get rid of all the white foods (flour, potatoes, pasta, white bread, etc) Later when you lose all the weight you can add back in whole grains. If you don't need to lose weight but you want to eat this way because you know it's healthier you can read Atkins For Life.

I am eating healthier than I ever have in my life - vegeatbles I never ate - kohlrabi, beets, daikon radish, rutabagas, turnips, bok choy, fennel, just to name a few. I have a huge salad every day for lunch with flax seeds, blue cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I never eat anything packaged and very few things that wouldn't be considered "whole foods".

What's funny is that the people who say I am eating unhealthy now never said anything if they saw me eating chips or a donut.

Time to clean up our act.

2005-02-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

Do we need MORE proof that we need to clean up our environment and make changes in the chemicals that are used? Today's news was about rocket fuel in breastmilk. That's right. Rocket fuel.

From the article: "California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer said the study underscored concerns about the chemical. Boxer sent a letter to state and federal health officials asking them to determine whether mothers should have their breast milk tested before breast-feeding."

Barbara, Barbara, Barbara. You've got it all wrong. The onus isn't on the MOTHERS. We have to eliminate the chemicals from our food and drinking water! I urge you to contact Senator Boxer and tell her so.

From the same article: "We've got to come to grips with the perchlorate situation quickly," Feinstein said in a statement. "And EPA has to move quickly to set a national drinking water standard that protects the health and safety of all Americans."

Now that's more like it. As long as you are writing letters you can send one to Senator Feinstein too.

Here is the full study.

Well that is the bad news but here is some good news. First, read what Dr. Thomas Hale, the foremost researcher on drugs and breastmilk, had to say. Then read what Kellymom had to say.

From what I read they tested 36 women and found perchlorate 5x higher than cow's milk and 20x higher than recommended. Only one woman had no traces of perchlorate at all, and she lives in CT, just in case you are wondering where to move.

CNN talked more about the study this morning. They had an expert on who said the danger with the jet fuel was that it prevents your uptake of iodine, which you need to produce thyroid hormone. To conteract it, you need to eat more iodine, like iodinized salt, kelp, and shellfish.

Perchlorate has not been found to accumulate in our bodies over time

No matter what breast milk is healthier than formula, for so many already know reasons. There are chemicals in formula. Additionally, more of the mothers toxic load is transferred to her first child in the placenta than any received by breastmilk. Also, breastfeeding helps ameliorate or limit the damage caused prenatally.

Plus, there are greater risks associated with not breastfeeding - higher incidences of breast and ovarian cancer in the mom - lower IQ, more diabetes, obesity, and certain childhood cancers in the child.

Another very important point is that the making of formula adds to environmental contamination, whereas breastmilk does not.

Here is the World Alliance For Breastfeeding's FAQ about breastfeeding in a contaminated environment.
And here is La Leche League's press release "Breast feeding remains best choice in a polluted world".

The mommy wars part 7,365

2005-02-22T09:58:00.000-05:00

I just read Judith Warner's article in Newseek promoting her book “Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety” at the dentist's office yesterday. I had been sent the link by a friend but I had no time so I skimmed the first page and clicked the link to Anna Quindlen's article. This was more my style and speed - mothers who raise their kids, as my friend put it to me, with "benign neglect". That's me - I have 3 boys 5 years old and under! I send them out in the backyard to play for hours - and they do! No need for leap pads or special classes. They dig in the dirt! Without me watching!

Personally I never did all that "stuff" with my kids- I had lots of reasons, we were broke, I had twins and then a singleton 15 months later and was physically incapable, but most importantly I had no desire to run them from activity to activity. My mother offered to pay for and help and I always refused - with no thought whatsoever that I might be damaging my kids or guilt that they might not be getting every advantage. Okay I had occasional twinges but never enough to join My Gym or anything.

I also never felt like I had to be perfect, like I had to measure up to anything anyone else was doing. I raised my children the way I did because it felt right. I did everything by instinct. Of course with 3 kids in 15 months I was also piloting on autodrive. Who had time to think of what others were doing or thinking?

I did read a couple of books which made me happy - not that I needed reassurance ;) - about "my way of parenting" One was "Mitten Strings For G-d" by Katrina Kenison. She is basically saying "stop! you don't need to do all that stuff with your kids! When they grow up they'll remember the fort they built in the backyard" (yay!) And the other is "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee" by Wendy Mogel. This is a great book that could have it's own post. This book is about raising your child to be part of a family and part of a community, not the center of it.

Reading the article though I get the point she's trying to make though, that moms ARE concerned with what others are thinking. I belong to a large playgroup, of moms I met through La Leche League and also out and about. We started small about 4 years ago and now we have about 40 moms in the group. I never got the feeling that we were comparing or competing. Who does more with their kids, who takes dancing, who takes gymnastics. Some people do, some people don't. That's all. Unless I am missing something, and I think with 40 moms I see a pretty representitive sampling, I don't get it.
I want to say maybe it's because they are all Stay at Home Moms, but that was my group in Ft. Lauderdale and I just moved here to Stuart in July and almost all the moms I meet work out of the home and I still don't see it.
Anyway, my kids want me to go see what they dug up in the yard.

More of what we've known all along

2005-02-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

Breastfeeding is good for you! Yeah we knew this. The AAP just released their latest policy statement as a reminder.

The statement is strongly worded, much more so than the 1997 policy. I was so pleased to see that they stated all the diseases it helps prevent in infancy and childhood, as well as the benefits seen into adulthood. It also outlined the maternal health benefits of reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, among others.

It spoke of benefits to the community and environment as well, which is something I feel stongly about. All the talk of environmental toxins in breastmilk, breastfeeding does not contribute to the environmental burden - but formula feeding does.

The best part of course is that they say newborns should sleep "in proximity" to their mothers to facilitate breastfeeding and that they say there is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding.

html is boring

2005-02-18T16:25:00.000-05:00

I am typing anchor tags for all of my products, since none have individual urls, for my froogle feed. This is so boring.I have also just eaten my own weight in cashews. sigh.