Moving!

So, life has gotten away on me... things have been SO busy. SO many changes and new things going on!

I promise to blog it, with pictures, but you'll have to visit my new blog: lisajones.ca

I am heading over there right now to blog the past 8 months (a very very abbreviated version)... so come check it out!

L.

Starting indoors.

Last year I gave in to my spring fever and started indoors in early March. You green thumbs know that is FAR too early for some plants and many of mine ended up spindly.

So far this year I've maintained control...but it is time. I will be starting seeds today!

Here's what I am planting:

Mini cukes











Tricolour Swiss Chard















Alpine Strawberries

Thumbelina Carrots












AND Strawberry Spinach. If you haven't heard of Strawberry spinach before, you aren't alone. This is the first year I have seen it in the seed store. It looks so lovely that I have to try it. Here's a blurb about it:

Strawberry Spinach
Description Chenopodium capitatum
50 days.
Unusual and doubly enjoyable first as an edible green and later, the berries. Triangular, pleasantly textured, green leaves have spiky edges and grow in attractive, open rosettes. Mature plants produce berry-like, 1/2 inch, enjoyably nutty, ruby-colored fruit. Plants are heat loving for an excellent addition to summer salads This is a very rare ancient vegetable dating back 400 years! It was rediscovered at old monasteries in Europe.

It is similar to Lamb's Quarters in habit, although smaller. Grows 1 1/2 Feet high. Triangular, toothed leaves are thinner than spinach, very nutritious and high in vitamins. The tender shoots are used in salads or cooked like spinach. But the real surprise is that at each leaf axle there is an abundance of sweet, strawberry-like fruits which some say resemble mulberries. Will reseed vigorously.

We are getting all geared up to build our raised beds. Still not 100% sure what they will look like, or even what we are doing, but we're having fun and growing our own food. More seeds to come!

What did YOU plant this year?

Old Country Buffet - no longer a "Family" Restaurant

I just read an article on 'Woman, Unsensored' about a Minnesota "family" restaurant who kicked a woman out for breastfeeding her baby.

http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/2010/04/old-country-buffet-calls-police-on.html

I encourage you to read the article and if you were offended by the violation of this woman and child's human rights, to write a letter to Old Country Buffet.

Also, if you were a breastfeeding mother, did you experience any type of "resistance"?

I remember breastfeeding my son, in the foyer, very discretely (completely covered with a large blanket) at our former church while the nursing room was being renovated. Another MOTHER came up to me and told me I was inappropriate and instruced me to go breastfeed in the handicapped washroom (even though there were several wheelchair-bound and/or elderly people in the building).

I refused and she left in a huff saying I was making people uncomfortable!

While I understand that not everyone is comfortable with breastfeeding, many women wear clothing more revealing than the amount of breast exposed when I breastfed. Nobody would dream of asking them to cover up, so who do some people think it is their right to ask a woman to leave the room to feed her baby?

Comments?

Paraben health alert

So, I just went through my bodycare products and chucked half of them.

I read an article (which turned into a quite a few articles, then studies) on parabens. Parabens are preservatives in many on the shelf body care products.

Chances are, you have parabens in your bathroom, whether in the lovely body lotion you smooth on after a shower or the conditioner you use in your hair. The problem with parabens is that they are xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens mimic estrogen in the body. Consuming/applying xenoestrogens can lead to toxicity. Some forms of cancer, especially women's cancers are fed by estrogens, so having something circulating in your body that mimics estrogen is not safe and can effect your health without you even knowing it.

Here is an interesting article on how to eliminate xenoestrogens in your home: www.ehow.com/how_4515846_avoid-exposure-xenoestrogens.html

There are a few brands of products that do not contain xenoestrogens. My favourite is Kiss my Face.

If you know of other paraben-free products, I would be interested in hearing about them!

Hemp Hearts

So, believe it or not, I just stumbled onto this superfood a few weeks ago. My MOM introduced me to hemp heart.

5 tablespoons of shelled hemp seed has over 2g of GLA (gamma linoleic acid - Omega 3), 16 grams of protein and it will keep you full for HOURS. I sprinkle it on my fruit & yogurt in the morning and I am not hungry until well past 2pm. Plus it has a mild nutty taste and can be stirred or blended into just about anything.

I'd heard about hemp seed, but thought it was just for hippies (lo and behold)... have you ever tried it?

In the past 2 weeks, I have lost over 5lbs and my skin has cleared up (I had the lovely, post-children breakouts that never go away) so I'd say they are working!

Lurk Much??

So, do you lurk? Do you read people's blogs without publicly following them? Are there people from your past who you cyber-stalk without their knowledge? Someone you're curious about?

Be honest, we all have people we wonder what happened to.

The thing is, there is no such thing as anonymity on the internet...right S? De-lurk, lady and let me know how J & S are doing...;)

Last week.

Here's the Birthday Boy...5 years old on Sunday!

Think

Howard Zinn 1922-2010:

“I'm worried that students will take their obedient place in society and look to become successful cogs in the wheel - let the wheel spin them around as it wants without taking a look at what they're doing. I'm concerned that students not become passive acceptors of the official doctrine that's handed down to them from the White House, the media, textbooks, teachers and preachers.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/01/29/2010-01-29_howard_zinn_influential_20th_century_historian_and_activist_dies_at_87.html

Allergies

Ok, so I have to preface this post by saying that I never knew such a thing existed and I didn't know I had allergies really (I am sensitive to milk and have sensitive skin, but nothing anaphylactic).

All my life when I have done vigourous physical activity I break out in red, raised, itchy hives. I always thought it was the sizing in the clothes and made sure to wash them before wearing, but even that didn't seem to make a difference. I have avoided things that make me really sweat because of this... it is quite uncomfortable.

I have been trying hard to be more active, get more exercise and to just improve my overall health. I've been power-walking and break out in hives (usually on my chest, neck and legs), Jumped on the rebounder inside, hives, used the vibrational trainer, hives.

Last night I did 15 minutes of heavy activity and by the time I was done my arms, chest and neck were RED, itchy and my lips felt swollen.

I posted this on my facebook and a little while later thought to look it up (what would we do without google or Wikipedia?).

Exercise Urticaria

Exercise urticaria, sometimes mistaken as exercise allergy, itchy legs, itchy legs syndrome or itchy pants syndrome, is a form of urticaria that happens during exercise. It is characterized by itching, swelling or hives on the legs, arms, torso or neck during or after exercise.

Cholinergic urticaria is brought on by a physical stimulus. Although the physical stimulus might be considered to be sweat, the actual precipitating cause is increased body temperature. Lesions usually appear within a few minutes of sweating, and may last for 30 minutes to over an hour.
In extreme cases, the condition can progress to an anaphylactic reaction, causing the person to pass out or suffocate due to blocked airways. People suffering from cholinergic urticaria may carry an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an EpiPen) in case of anaphylaxis.

Exercise-induced anaphylaxis
A life-threatening drop in blood pressure that can be fatal in major allergic reactions. Seen commonly when a person allergic to certain foods or medications exercises immediately after ingesting them. Symptoms are:
Fatigue
Unusual warmth
Itching
Inflammation of the skin progressing to large hives
Collapse and unconsciousness
Swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing or choking
Nausea
Vomiting
Treatments include:
A self-injectable epinephrine kit prescribed by a doctor
Avoiding the triggering food or medication at least a day before vigorous exercise.
Medical alert jewelry or ID tags describing the condition and sensitive substances.
Accompaniment by someone informed of condition able to contact emergency service, like with an emergency telephone number.

I was shocked to learn that this is an actual disorder!?

I have no idea what I could have eaten yesterday that might have caused this.

I took two antihistamines and went to bed.

Does this ever happen to YOU? Is this common? I couldn't find any more information out about it.

100th Post!/ Mompetition

Wow, I never really thought I would make it to 100 posts!

I don't think I realised how cathartic blogging would be for me. I have enjoyed sharing my life with all of you, and truly appreciate the replies I receive and the thoughts you share with me.

I've been thinking a lot, lately, about something that I've found really difficult about being a Mom - being real about what parenthood is really like and letting my guard down.

I think too many of us, especially me, are afraid that we'll be judged if we admit to other people that we aren't always perfect. I know I saw this a lot when Parker was first born... Alan called it a "Mompetition"... let's compete to see who has the most perfect house, hair, child, car, life...

It isn't a competition based on reality... it is a competition based on the image we project. For me, it is that I am always smiling... I even smile when I feel horrible, frustrated or sad.

I realise that keeping my reality hidden actually pushes me away from others because they can only relate to me when they are happy... and nobody is always happy.

Yesterday someone told me that another Mom (neither of which follow my blog) commented I was always happy and didn't think I'd be able to handle the honest reality of another group of Moms who routinely share their parenting frustrations.

I was surprised, at first, because I always think of myself as a pretty open person and I know that I can empathise with these other moms because I have plenty of parenting frustrations. What I didn't realise was that my constant forced happy demeanor was alienating me from a group of people with which I likely have a lot in common.

The more I thought about it, the more I realised that it isn't open, honest or helpful to only share your happiness with the people around you. Sometimes you need to let people see your sadness, your dissappointment or your anger/frustration.

I think when we share both our 'light' and 'dark' sides with people, allow ourselves a little vulnerability, we make it possible to take our relationships to a whole new level.

When we open ourselves up, others will do the same and we can relate to so much more of what they are experiencing, because we actually know what it is. Our 'sameness' brings us closer and our vulnerability too. Who doesn't want closer, more satisfying relationships with others? Who doesn't want to feel more understood?

I know I do.

So, I will start... I struggle with anxiety. I have only recently been able to put a label on the feeling... I always just thought I was just a worrier, but now I accept it is something more serious.

It has been a life-long problem and I struggle everyday not to worry about things that are totally out of my control. I lay awake in bed at night thinking about my kids and worrying about the future. I am not comfortable taking anxiety medication, so I am doing other things to try and cope.

There, I said it....

So, what do YOU think?? Have you ever felt like you couldn't be real with someone about what you're experiencing or feeling because they will judge you? Have you experienced 'Mompetition'? Do you have friends that you tell EVERYTHING to? Do you only project the positive?

Temper Tantrum...

Do your kids have temper tantrums? Mine get mad but very rarely do they feel the need to lose control and scream and cry...tonight was one of those rare occasions.

Liam slapped his brother for the umpteenth time. He is in a hitting stage and I have no idea how to end it. I asked him to sit still and think about it for a few minutes. He complained, and whined and I know he was tired, so I told him that it was bedtime... this set-off 45 minutes of hollering and crying and the "I hate yous".

I should have explained that Liam is the world's biggest Mama's boy. I nursed that little milk monkey until he was 2 and a half and he'd still be nursing if it were up to him. We have a close and very special relationship, so it stung a little to be told he hates me 25 times in 10 minutes.

He finally told me he wanted me to go away, so I said I love you and started to stand up and he shreiked "WHERE are you GOING!!!???". I told him I was going away because he told me to and he started to cry and everything turned around.

I tried hard, throughout the tantrum to give him alternative words to use to express his feelings... I told him it was ok to tell me that he HATES what I am doing, or what is happening and that I knew he was feeling very very angry and that it was alright to tell someone that... I stayed calm, but it still stung.

I spent the next 30 minutes laying on the top bunk, reading 'Rainbow Fish' and and taking Sarah MacLaughlin requests (my kids like Miss Sarah), I rubbed his back and made up a song about him sliding down a rainbow with his 'Lamby', tucked him in and told him I loved him. He smiled and rolled over, the tantrum forgotten.

All is well and right in the Jones house...

What do YOU do when your child loses control?

I'll take the little things...

Parker is loving his days at the blended program. Since returning from Christmas vacation he seems to have settled into a comfortable rhythm and his teachers say he is a joy to have in the classroom.

Yesterday when I picked him up after school the teacher took me aside to tell me a story.

Just before Christmas, Miss Mary was showing the children a Pysanka and left it on her desk when they moved on to their next class. The pysanka was broken and Miss Mary asked whoever was responsible to come forward. Nobody did.

Yesterday she found a small ceramic bird broken and told the class how dissappointed she was (she knew who'd broken it) and would appreciate if someone let her know. Nobody owned up to the bird, but she said on the way to gym class, Parker took her aside and told her that he was looking at her "amazing" pysanka before Christmas and he accidently dropped it. He told her how bad he felt and said he was so sorry.

She told me that it meant so much to her that Parker felt comfortable enough to come forward and tell her the truth.

We are looking online to find a new pysanka to replace her broken one. Parker told me that he would like to earn some extra money to buy it for her.

I am just so pleased that P came forward and fessed up. I had no idea about the egg and knowing that he made this decision on his own and followed through in an appropriate way tells me that he is growing up, that he feels comfortable and happy at his school and reminds me how much I like the person Parker is becoming!

Books

So, we read, a lot.

The boys and I are reading Roddy Doyle - The Rover Adventures

I am enjoying it as much as the boys and we just finished Rover saves Christmas today before nap time (yes, I have reinstituted naptime. Frankly, at my age, I need a nap sometimes...;). I am SO looking forward to the next story.

When I met Alan, I was a reader and he told me he wasn't. Turns out, he was wrong.

Alan likes to read nearly as much as I do. Guess what book awoke the reader within him (think back to 1999, what was big)? He is currently reading the new Stuart Mclean Book and, now tat I have finished it, is looking forward to reading one of the books my Mum bought him for Christmas - 'Superfreakenomics' (I highly recommend this book. It will make you laugh a LOT and then think... well, not neccesarily in that order).

I used to read Anne Rice and VC Andrews and other scary/depressing/twisted types of books (not that there is anything wrong with reading something twisted once in awhile), but lately I find myself drawn to lighter reading.

So, recently I've read SCADS of vampire/werewolf/immortal/psychic teen lit. I am not ashamed to admit it... I have been into fantasy/sci-fi since I was a preteen.

I am currently re-reading the last Harry Potter book and quite enjoying it... it amazes me how much I forget of a story after I finish it!

So, what are YOU reading right now?? What are your favourite books?? Your kid's favourite books??

A New Year

What a wonderful feeling this new year has brought with it.

I was feeling quite flat toward the end of December, but as the end of the month drew closer, I found that the stress of Christmas faded.

We did not drive to Radium after all. The roads were bad and I am a basket case when the roads are so much as shiny. My Mum and Step-Dad came a day later. I did not bottle sangria. We did not soak in the hotsprings.

I thought I had everything planned out... dates and times, when I would shop... but, as they say about the best laid plans...

We spent Christmas with my Sister, her husband and inlaws. It was lovely.

The boys played wii for several hours (what a treat for them), very quietly. We visited, ate, opened gifts, ate some more and had a calm, relaxed, beautiful time.

It made me realise that sometimes the best plans are to have none at all.

Further, I did not go crazy, as I always have, making lists of cleaning and organizing... Alan was shocked that I didn't bark orders, or once get on my hands and knees to scrub floors.

I start this new year with a deep desire to focus on that which is most important to me... my boys, Alan, my home. I have set my business aside for now, focussing on healing from the accident and being home with those I love.

I feel deeply peaceful about it.

I am so happy.

Christmas Spirit

I was feeling a little bah humbug during the last few weeks... looking for something to spark that excitement for the season I always felt as a kid.

So far, while not feeling particularly "sparky" I feel a little more excitement for the days ahead.

Here's what's helped me...

Baking
Cookie Exchange
Shopping (this is a double-edged sword, though)
Gift-Wrapping
Finding my Sister the perfect gift...;)
Singing Sarah McLaughlin's "Wintersong" album in the car at the top of my lungs.
Putting up our new artificial tree (XOOX Grandpa S.) and dousing it with Pine essential oil
The SNOW!

What do you do to feel the "Spirit of the Season"?

On Thursday I had an acupuncturist appointment.

I forgot my cell phone and called Alan from P's school to remind him I was coming to pick him up at 3:45 (my appointment was at 4) so he could watch the boys. He said he'd be waiting.

I arrived at 3:40 and waited until 3:50 and then had to leave so I could be there on time. I was mad, but calm.

I called him when I arrived at the office and he said "Why didn't you call me?". He'd forgotten I didn't have my phone and even though I called 30 minutes before I had to pick him up, he is so used to being reminded by phone about things that it doesn't occur to him to set a timer, etc, to ensure promptness.

He arrived, by bus, halfway through my appointment (let me tell you, entertaining 2 boys in a small room while mostly naked, laying down and being stabbed with needles isn't as fun as it sounds) and took the boys home.

Alan is a wonderful man, so this post is not a complaint about him, but more about the effects of relying on contant contactability and how it changes how we organise our time and relate to others.

I am torn. I would really like to have a PDA to make my schedule easier to access (and because I am still having short-term memory problems from the accident) and the best ones out there are cell-phone based (iphone/Blackberry), but I do not want to make this situation worse.

This whole topic reminds me of a recent shopping trip wherein Liam asked me for a toy and I said no. I told him I did not have any cash to buy the toy for him (it has been my standby excuse) and his reply was "Well, then just use your debit r credit card!".

At the time it seemed cute and witty of him to think of this solution, but I found myself laying in bed later, wide awake, mulling it over.

When did my kids notice that you could just swipe a card and pay for whatever you wanted?

How am I going to teach them about money and wise spending and limits?

How will I explain about when convenience is appropriate and when it isn't?

I guess my point is, technology is good... great even, but how will it effect how our children make choices?

Any opinions??

Free Range Mommies... How Cell Phone Holdouts Are Right: Buy a Phone, Become a Baby by Lenore Skenazy

I love this article... it is so true.

Cell Phone Holdouts Are Right: Buy a Phone, Become a Baby by Lenore Skenazy on Creators.com - A Syndicate Of Talent

Here come the holidays....

I'd like to preface this post by saying that I have edited it 5 times for spacing, etc and there is something wrong with blogger.

I am letting it go because it shouldn't mean so much to me to have perfect spacing... so here it is, my spacing-impaired blog post... ENJOY!

Soooo.... I am sitting here, having just whipped up a batch of koolaid playdough with Parker, watching him roll and cookie-cutter away, wondering if I should be thinking about Christmas.

I've purchased very few of my gifts so far and we just recently started with the holiday decorating...I usually bake a few things... biscotti, gingerbread, a few kinds of cookies... I have not started yet and I wonder this:

What do YOU do to prepare for and then celebrate the holidays?

We usually go to zoolights, parties and spend Christmas with family and friends...we have Chinese food on Christmas Eve and Eggs Benedict and turkey on Christmas Day. We listen to Stuart McLean and watch movies, open presents and visit. This year we will be spending part of the holidays in Radium, BC at a lovely Chalet!

The tree goes up December 1st and it will be our first year with an artificial tree! I've always held out and insisted on a real tree, but our last few years of trees haven't made it a week without dropping copious amounts of needles on my floor.

I have a small bottle of Alberta Lodgepole pine essential oil distilled by some nice gardeners here in Calgary. I intend to dab it here and there and IMAGINE I am celebrating Christmas at my grandparent's place on highway 16, 5 minutes from the Jasper Park gates.

I remember getting dressed up warm and anually setting out with my Grandfather, little sister and cousins to cut down a Christmas tree. There were SO many perfect Christmas trees on my grandparents land... 20 acres of lodgepole pines and spruce trees. Every year I pointed out a dozen, beautiful trees (often over 10 feet high) and every year we came home with the same tree... 7 feet tall, beautifully green and bushy on three sides and barren on the 4th.

My Grandfather would put the barren side of the tree in the corner and nobody would say another word about it.

I often wondered why he did that... cut down a tree that wasn't perfect...

I used to think it was because he didn't want scruffy, half-barren trees in his forest, but, lately I've come to believe that he wouldn't have cut any tree down if we hadn't been pestering him. He worked almost every day of his adult life in that forest and he loved the trees, the animals and the wildflowers. I think it brought him a lot of peace.

So, this year, Grandpa, I didn't cut down a tree... and every time I look at my artificial tree, I am going to think of you.

Homeschooling ramblings...

So, I have had quite a few people ask me how homeschooling is going.

Parker opted for the local homeschooling "Blended Program". This means that every Thursday and every second Tuesday and half Friday he attends a school with other homeschoolers. The days are shorter - 10 amd-3pm and it is based on Thematic teaching, but it is fun for him and he likes it so far... his favourite subject is "Recess" or "Dodgeball", but what first-grader's isn't?

At home we do some reading and some basic math, use the abacus, watch an educational video or two, model with clay, paint, bake, dance and play. We meet up with other homeschooling friends, go to the zoo, science center, pool.

One thing about homeschooling that I love is that we get up about 8am. There is no hurrying. There is no rushing through breakfast. There is very little stress. If we need a nap in the afternoon, we put on a quiet video and cuddle on my bed.

Liam is as happy as a clam having time alone with Mama. We have been swimming, shopping, lunching and playing... it is good times and he seems to be out-growing the "f'ing fours"... thank goodness.

So, so far, homeschooling is good... very good!

Chinook headaches

Do you get these?

We have so many chinooks in Calgary that I find myself with a headache every so often and hear many many other women say the same thing... so for those of you who have them, I discovered something that helps!

I bought an air purifier/ionizer.

Apparently chinook winds fill the air with positively-charged ions... sensitive people feel this and develop a headache.

An ionizer takes positively charged ions and changes them to negative. Most also take care of dust, allergens, bacteria and viruses.

Right now costco happens to have a set of three ionizing air-purifiers on of $199... I have mine running and feel really well!

Let me know if you try it and how it works for you!!