Ina May's Guide to Chidbirth

A lot of very sane and lovely people I know value this book, so I was surprised how extreme my distaste for my reading experience with this books has been.  I found each page more strange and uncomfortable than the previous, leaving me more stressed about natural childbirth than comforted.  Granted, I entered this books with kind of unique parameters, as a woman who is supportive of efforts to decrease pain but unwilling to go through an epidural experience again, but I still think that Ina May's view swings in a direction that does not necessarily empower and turns childbirth into unrealistic ideals (a whole section on orgasimic birthing - really?!)  I am moving on in my stack of natural childbirth books, still hopeful to find a sane voice but less confident.  

Books to Check Out for Lucy

If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche
Make Van Goghs Bed
Pop Warhols Top
All In A Day
Maxs World
Pantone Colors
Animal 123
Chloe, Instead
Waiting For Baby
Bugs in a Blanket
Where You Came From
All the World
Bob Books
Hippo Opposites
My Father's Dragon
Paddy the Bear
Winnie the Pooh

Image: http://www.etsy.com/listing/64467476/quote-illustration-art-print-reading

"I brake for birds. I rock a lot of polka dots. I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours. I spend my entire day talking to children. And I find it fundamentally strange that you’re not a dessert person. It freaks me out. I’m sorry that I don’t talk like Murphy Brown. And I hate your pants suit. I wish it had ribbons on it or something just to make it slightly cuter but that doesn’t mean I’m not smart and tough and strong." 

-Jess (New Girl)

Theme of the Week: Colors

Use eye dropper to drop vinegar tinted with food coloring onto a pan filled with baking soda.

Sidewalk paint: mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of cornstarch * pour it into muffin tins or small cups * add food coloring

Shaving cream in pan + food coloring + utensil to mix/play

Rainbow rice: 4 cups of rice + 2T of food coloring + 3T of rubbing alcohol in Ziploc * put in pans in the sun to dry

Oh Happy Day

Satisfaction by Secondsister Suaviloquy

Everyday you wake up with an empty cup to fill.  During the day, you will fill this cup with the things you do. Every person has a different recipe for what they need to fill their cups with in order to feel happy and satisfied by the end of the day. For example, I have learned that everyday, I need to have a few hours of productive work, a few hours of creativity, some quality time with my family, exercise, a little play and down time.  If I can fit all these things into my day, I go to bed tired and very happy.

Like I said before, everyone is different. My best friend needs a lot of play in her day to feel satisfied. Another friend needs a little service to others to be happy.  You might need reading time or religious worship or lot of time to sit and do nothing. You must get real with yourself and figure out what it is you need to feel satisfied at the end of the day.

Keep in mind that there are days that vary. For instance, if you go on vacation, your day will be very different. Sundays at my house are different from other days of the week. The satisfaction cup is a general application to your everyday routine.

You will know at the end of the day if your cup isn't full. The feeling is unmistakable. You feel hungry. Maybe literally hungry, maybe figuratively hungry. If I find myself snacking late at night it is most often because my cup didn't get filled for the day. I'm not really hungry for food, I'm just trying to satisfy. Sometimes I do other things at the end of the day like waste time on the internet shopping or channel surf on t.v.  Most often the things we do when our cups hasn't been filled are negative and unproductive.  Sometimes they are even destructive, like picking fights with people or gossiping.

Yesterday I filled my cup to overflowing. I got up and got the kids bathed and dressed. Took The Boy to school and then took the two babies to the doctor for check-ups (work). After the doctor we went to TJMaxx and I shopped for a birthday gift (play). Then we went home and we had a picnic outside for lunch (quality family time). Then I ran on the treadmill and did sit-ups (exercise). I cycled the wash, did a little work on the computer, did a general pick-up through my house and baked a cake for Frankie's birthday party tomorrow (work). I took The Boy to scouts and then I spent some time creating party hats and favours for the party (creativity). We had dinner together and studied spelling words and then it was time for pajamas and bed and then a little veg time holding the babies and watching kids shows (down time). At this point I was absolutely exhausted and I ended up falling asleep instead of writing this post. But it didn't matter because my cup was already full and I was satisfied.

Not everyday is this busy or this productive. But if I can squeeze in just enough of everything I need to feel happy and satisfied, in the evening I know that my overall outlook on life will be healthy and upbeat.

Everyday you empty the contents of your satisfaction cup into your "Life Satisfaction Cup". If this cup isn't kept full, you will start to feel the effects. You will have a searching feeling. You will feel unsatisfied with the life you are living. You will tend to focus on the negative things instead of the things that make you happy.

So here's what you need to do: 
First, identify what it is you personally need in each day to feel happy and productive. Be honest. I wish I could say that giving service was one of the things I need. Alas, it is not. Think about how your long term goals play into this.
Second, check yourself throughout your day to make sure you are managing your time so that you will be able to get in all the things you need.
Third, know that everyday is different and be flexible.  If you work like a dog one day, you might not need much work in the days that follow to feel satisfied.

As I said before, happiness is not an absolute. There are so many factors that happen in our lives that play into how we feel emotionally. But the point is to work on those things that we can control.

On our bodies by CJane

Here's some thoughts on what I will tell my daughters, what I will shout from the rooftops, what I will whisper in their ears:


Your body houses a spirit.
The spirit changes constantly with intelligence and progression.
Your body will change with your spirit, constantly.
On days where you will feel heavy, emotionally, so will your body.
On days where you feel energetic, emotionally, so will your body.


Your body will change like the earth changes, and if you are quiet you will feel the earth's changes in your own body. And like the earth, your body is cyclic. This system of cycles is very important for your body and spirit, it will pull out dark, deep-seated emotions that might hurt you --even if you're not conscious of them-- and flush them out, literally out of your body and out of your mind. 


This cycle that will occur in your body is Grace.
Allow yourself to be cyclic. And feel cyclic.


You will be tempted to coerce your body into staying the same. You might hear about unhealthy perimeters to keep your body within; numbers and measurements. You might feel a need to restore your body to a certain age where you think your body belongs--even though you would never will your spirit backwards to that same place. You will hear lies that unless your body stays the same you are not good enough.


These are the worst lies ever told since the beginning of time. The worst lies always involve a woman's body. They always involve a woman's body and her inabilities. And these lies, they've hurt a lot of people. You don't have to believe them. In fact, you can believe more than the sum of all these lies.


Your body is not about what you have too much of. Your body is not about what you wish you had more of. Your body isn't even about an appearance, it's more intelligent than that. It's about truth; the physical manifestation of what you know inside. 


It's not about what days you will take it to the gym. It's not about what you foods you will refuse it. It's not about how you can pluck it, paint it, or shape it with plastic. It's about how you feel about its worth--and your spirit's worth--and those sentiments will be your guide on how you treat it. 


Your body has been changing since the day you were born, let it continue to change. Let it fatten, let it thin, let it bloom, let it blossom, let it shrink, let it wrinkle, let it die.


And celebrate it all.  


This is where I will start when I teach my daughters, because these are the things I wish I would've heard, or what my mother had heard, or her mother as well. I will tell my son too, and charge him with a responsibility to never believe the lies he will be told about a woman's body.

Quiet and Independent Toddler Activities

• Sensory Balloons: fill with flour, oats, buttons
• Tower out of Sponges: cut in strips, use like Lincoln Logs
• Treasure Basket: fill with wood tools and gadgets
• Lacing Beads
• Mini baskets: fill with buttons in one, marbles in another
• Painted Popsicle Sticks with Velcro on Ends
• I Spy Bottle: fill with rice, and noodle, goggly eye, pom pom, jewel, bead, black bean, paper clip, etc and hot glue top on
• Nuts and Bolts: different sizes
• Pipe Cleaners + Strainer