Smitten

You know how when you fall in love, you get a little silly for awhile? Can't work, can't think, can't sleep; you just want to gaze into your beloved's eyes and adore them?





Yep. I'm in love.

Jonathan's photography

Jonathan has been fascinated with our digital camera for a long time now, but I haven't (until recently) been willing to let him "play" with it. He would like to point out that he isn't playing, he's taking pictures!

This morning I let him enjoy himself and take as many pictures as he wanted, and a lot of them turned out really nicely!





I find it interesting to see what he considers photograph-worthy (the grill?)





and I also like watching him discover things like lens distance from his object.



He was most proud of this one, because he managed to capture the bee before it flew away.

House Rules

picture credit

This afternoon Jonathan was invited to play inside a neighbor friend's house. This is a big deal, because we don't often allow it (we prefer to keep the kids in the more neutral, not to mention visible, area outside our house). So Jonathan came running inside to ask if he could please go inside R's house to play? I said yes, and then added "I want to remind you about the rules before you go." In a tearing hurry, apparently, Jonathan rattled off "I already know. Don't watch movies, don't eat sweet things without asking, don't bite or hit or kick because if I do I'll have to come in and I can't go out again because this is my only chance."

Isn't it nice to know your child knows the rules! :)

ESPAÑA!!!!

World Cup Champions!



And the octopus who predicted it...



Congratulations!

CVS trip 7-11-10

I forgot to take a picture before putting it all away - sorry! But this week's trip is just further confirmation that CVS is the place where I want to shop.

Have I mentioned how much I like the people? When I walked in, Karen waved at me, Dan greeted me by name, and the manager, Mike, said hello to the boys when we walked by. They're all wonderful, helpful, friendly people.

My particular CVS takes competitor coupons. This is definitely a YMMV situation - some do, some don't. Mine happens to be working pretty hard to get surrounding business, so they accept Rite Aid coupons AND Target coupons (I've never tried Walgreens coupons, but I assume they'd take those too). Since these are rung up as "store coupons", they can be paired with regular manufacturer coupons. This can make for some pretty sweet deals.

Today I purchased the following:

2 gallons of milk
2 big boxes of cheerios
contact solution
2 Pulsar toothbrushes
John Frieda shampoo
John Frieda conditioner
10 papermate pens
child safety scissors

After coupons, I used $8 in ecbs and paid $3.06 out of pocket (mostly tax). But I received $15 in new ecbs, for a net profit of just under $4. Which is pretty great, don't you think?

That's it, we're done.

I am done, done, DONE with shopping at Rite Aid. "Nevermore" quoth I. I've had it.

Rite Aid has some great deals. Really great. Use your coupons wisely, paired up with sales, and you can get lots of things you need and lots of things to donate for very little out of pocket expense. You can, that is, if you don't mind being treated like a thief every time you try to pay for your purchases.

In all the time I've been shopping at Rite Aid, I have yet to find one single person, cashier OR manager, who has any idea how to handle coupons. They don't know that there is a corporate Rite Aid coupon policy. When I show it to them, they tell me that it doesn't apply to their store, or they argue grammar (try explaining coupon grammar to a native Spanish speaker - oh, so much fun). What none of them have any grasp of is that coupons are MONEY to their store. I'm not ripping them off, I'm keeping them in business.

I don't plan to do that, anymore.

History does NOT repeat itself!

Remember the troubles facing New York midwives? Thanks to lots of grass roots action and (yes!) reasonable legislators, the Midwifery Modernization Act has passed both the House and the Senate, and awaits the governor's signature.

Huntington Garden free day tickets - hurry!

Anyone want to come to the Huntington with us on the morning of August 5th? There are still tickets available - hurry over here, they go quickly!

Choosing to see the good things

Jonathan is my routine child. That is to say, he thrives on routines, even when he doesn't think so. :) It is one of those areas where it is my job to know him better than he knows himself. And this child needs routines. They've been sadly lacking, this past week, and I think that is what is driving a current spate of bad behavior.

I know this. I know that he is on edge, and overwrought, and not yet skilled in how to handle this emotional state inside himself. I know that it is my job to gather his anger and upsetness and help him to calm down without adding to his misery. It is a hard job, and very tiring for mama!

So in the midst of it all, it is so important for me to remember to notice the really, really good things about Jonathan. Like when we went to Target today, and he was patient and didn't whine for the entire "boring part" of the trip. Then we went to the toy section, and he accepted, without complaint, that most of the toys he thought were "so cool" cost more than the amount of money he had in his piggy bank. And when he finally chose how he wanted to spend his money, he purchased inexpensive (yet very fun!) sand/water toys, because he wanted to be able to give one to each of his brothers. I did not suggest this, and his brothers had not asked. He simply has a generous heart, and I love this about him.

Pray for grace

For me, please. Our contractor just explained to me that there must have been a miscomunication - they're not coming out today or tomorrow to install granite (like he said!), they hope to come out the end of next week. And in the limited understanding that I'm developing in this project, "hope" means I should mentally add a few more days and maybe a weekend to my expected arrival date. :(

Living in an upset routine and doing dishes in the bathtub is wearing, to say the least. So...grace. And maybe remind me that it will be beautiful when it is done. :)

Extrovert for a day

Jonathan asked me to take him over to a friend's house today. Said excursion would require me to chit chat with his friend's mother (who is a very nice woman, by the way). I said no, I wanted to stay close to home for the afternoon. We discussed the concept of introverts and extroverts, and I explained that I needed some space after being around people all morning at church. Jonathan digested this, and then asked "Mommy, please be an extrovert, just for today?"

Washing dishes sans kitchen

The novelty of doing dishes in the bathroom sink and bathtub is rather pleasant. That said, I'm also exceedingly grateful for paper plates!

Remodel, day one

This morning our kitchen looked like this:





Then this happened:



And this:



And this:



The kids thought it was wonderful.





Tonight my kitchen looks like this:





And the rest of my house?





Well, this too shall pass. :)

History repeats itself

An overview of obstetric and midwifery history will show one thing quite clearly: doctors don't like midwives. In fact, most doctors wish that midwives didn't exist, and they most certainly wish that they weren't allowed to practice.

For most of the past 150 years, obstetrics won. For decades, midwifery was (in America) nearly a lost art. It began to revive in the 60's and 70's, enjoyed a bit of a heyday in the 80's, and has stolidly refused to die out, even in the face of tremendous pressure from obstetricians and insurance companies.

Ideally, obstetricians and midwives would work together, referring patients to each other for the best outcome for each individual woman. Low risk cases to midwives, high risk cases to obstetricians. It could be done. It should be done if we care about cost control, best outcomes for babies, and quality care for women.

And it seems utterly out of reach. Yet again, history attempts to repeat itself. In the state of New York, the closure of a large, midwife-friendly hospital (St. Vincent's in Manhattan) has imperiled the ability of midwives to practice. State law currently requires that all midwives have formal, written practice agreements with a back-up obstetrician. With the closure of the hospital, most midwives have been unable to meet this requirement. A bill to amend the law was expected to pass easily, until it met with opposition from the American College of Obstetricians/Gynecologists. Why? Is it a safety issue? Have new studies emerged showing midwifery to be dangerous? No. ACOG is opposing the legislation on the grounds that it "has the ability to pave the way for midwives to open their own independent birthing centers."

The hubris utterly amazes.

Quiet time

As my oldest has gotten older and given up his naps, we have kept "quiet time". For one hour mid-morning, and one hour mid-afternoon, all children either nap or have time on their bed, reading books or playing with one quiet toy. For awhile I wondered if perhaps I was being extraordinarily selfish, unwilling to give up my own quiet times. (I felt better after listening to Susan Wise Bauer's matter-of-fact explanation for why all her children still have a daily "naptime"!) And truly, it seems to be more family-serving than simply self-serving. My theory has been that we all need some down time built into our day. Even my extroverted first born can easily get overwhelmed and fall apart if he's been turbo-charging through the day without a break. His introverted younger brother will disappear into a corner if he's not provided with some space on a regular basis. And introverted mama? Well, she's much nicer if her ears get a rest every so often. :)

This afternoon two of the boys' neighborhood friends were over to play. When I gave the five-minute-warning that it was almost quiet time, the friends were puzzled. "What is quiet time? We only have bed time." I explained that quiet time was not for sleeping, but for resting and reading. And then Jonathan chimed in "I like quiet time. It is a nice time for me to relax."

Exactly, dear one. I'm glad you like it.

Summer fruits and veggies

Summer is my favorite time of year for healthy eating. Last night I had blueberries for an evening snack. This morning an orange/banana/spinach smoothie. At lunch we polished off almost an entire honeydew melon. And who can resist fresh green beans with sliced tomatoes? Corn on the cob and crunchy sweet carrots? Shell peas, peaches, cherries just waiting to explode in your mouth? Strawberries out of the garden, cantaloupe and apricots and spinach salads with blue cheese.

I love eating in the summer!

Extroverted week

Tuesday: guests for dinner
Thursday: guests for dinner
Friday: hosted Artists' Night
Saturday morning: DASC doula meeting
Saturday evening: dinner with a friend

All absolutely lovely events, and I'm glad that we did every one of them! But oh my, I'm enjoying the fact that no one is home right now. And if you see me at church tomorrow, I won't be at all offended if you just nod, smile, and walk right by! :)

How many does it take to change a light bulb...?

Religious denominational version! This is shamelessly copied from Gem of the Ocean. I have no idea where she got it, but it is wonderful. Thanks to Betsy for sharing it with me!


How various religions cope with changing light bulbs:

* Charismatics: Only one. Hands already in the air.
* Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
* Presbyterians: None. Lights will go on and off at predestined times.
* Roman Catholic: None. Candles only.
* Baptists: At least 15. One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.
* Episcopalians: Three. One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks and one to talk about how much better the old one was.
* Mormons: Five. One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.
* Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
* Methodists: Undetermined. Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Church wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring bulb of your choice and a covered dish.
* Nazarene: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.
* Lutherans: None. Lutherans don't believe in change.
* Amish: What's a light bulb?

Why coupon?

There is an interesting conversation going on right now over at living learning and loving simply. Aimee's post is titled "why I don't like couponing", and it is a well-written essay with well-posed questions. The comments are also worth reading. It all made me do a lot of thinking, especially as I cut my coupons this week! So I thought I'd add my own bit to the conversation and try to explain some of the reasons that I do like and spend time couponing. Overall, I think it boils down to this: I believe there is a middle way. And I really like middle ways. :)

I am all for buying organic, and as local as I can. We get most of our produce from Farm Fresh To You, and flour, sugar, and various other items from Azure Standard. They are both organic, and "local" to the west coast (mostly CA/OR). Reality, however, is that most of us can't buy all local all the time. I would love to have a way to get reasonably priced milk from a local cow, but that simply doesn't exist where I live. The next best option is to use coupons on the milk that I can get. Coupons for organic items (canned goods, milk, produce, cheese, etc.) do exist! And if they exist, why not use them? As well, why pay full price for basic items like toothbrushes and batteries?

Should we give up couponing in order to spend the time on "things that matter"? I think that depends on a few things. How much time are we talking about? I do think that couponing can become an unhealthy obsession, if not used carefully. It needs to be kept in context of the rest of your life, and given a proper place in your priorities.

But what if it is enjoyable? I can't stand crafting, but planning the perfect trip to CVS makes me smile. I can see how crafting beautiful things could be very good for someone's family. But it could also be good, I think, to spend some of that time "crafting" scenarios for the trip to the drugstore, if that allows your family to have what they need and maybe some to give away, as well.

Let me give you an example. Last week I went to Rite Aid. Before leaving I spent perhaps 30-45 minutes collecting my coupons and organizing my plan. I purchased a $25 itunes gift card, a pool for the kids (originally $19.99), two packages of wipes, a mega pack of huggies, a bottle of lotion (to donate), three 8 packs of duracell batteries, and a bar of chocolate, for a total cost of $37. That is at least a $50 savings, which gives me a better "hourly rate" than my software developer husband. :) Too bad I can't "earn" that much every hour!

Aimee, thank you for your post. It is an interesting conversation, and one well worth having.

Look look look!

Somebody likes my midwifery slings - they featured them in an Etsy treasury! You can take a look at the entire "Born at Home" treasury here (or click on the picture.)



It is a fun mix, some very cute, some quite useful, and some great activist items. And they included me! Me me me! Hurray! :)

Jonathan

(Photo taken at the Awana awards ceremony)

In the midst of the millions of words that my firstborn uses each day (yes, I'm convinced it is in the millions) some really stand out. For example, the other day we were walking together and he happily stated "Mom, I'm really cool. I can do anything!" Well then! No self esteem issues there!

A few days ago, when Gabe and I were away celebrating our anniversary, Miss Carolyn took the boys to get Happy Meals and then to the park. Carolyn reported back that Jonathan lay back on the grass and sighed "I really needed a day off."

Oh child, you have every day off. But I'm glad you enjoyed that one!

Cheap cheese!

I had a fun, quick trip to Vons this morning and thought I'd share. Many items are on sale "Buy 8 get $4 off instantly" (check the vons flyer for details). The sale is ongoing through Tuesday if you want to duplicate my trip or plan your own.



I purchased:
6 lbs shredded cheddar
2 lbs lunch meat
tortilla chips
minute maid orange juice
fransisco whole wheat sandwich rolls
snyders pretzels

Coupons used:
- .55 real ca dairy product
- .55 real ca cheese
- .55 real ca cheese (05-23-10 SS)
- 1.00 land o'frost (quick sign-up required)
- 1.00 land o'frost
-1.50 oj (e-coupon surprise - I love those!)
- .75 fransisco bread (03-07-10 SS)
-1.00 snyders pretzels (05-23-10 SS)


Some of those coupons doubled (up to a dollar) leaving me with a grand total of $21.38!

Strong mama

Apparently, I am not the only woman to fire her doctor during labor! Check out this amazing mother's story!

Thomas

I'm really enjoying Thomas right now.



He's recently developed a really compassionate desire to assist Josiah. If Siah is crying, Thomas will offer him his own stuffed teddy bear, or share his snack, or pat his back and softly murmur "it's ok, Josiah, it's ok." (Josiah often responds to these ministrations with a truly awful show of spite, throwing the proffered objects on the floor and screaming, but so far Thomas remains unhurt and undaunted.) I love watching my little boys transform into "big brother". I remember when Jonathan did it with Thomas and it is really fun to watch that sweetness happen again.

Today I haven't been feeling well and was hoping to take a nap in the afternoon. Jonathan and Josiah cooperated by falling asleep, but Thomas wasn't sleepy at all. So when the hour of quiet time was up, I mustered a smile and prepared to be back on duty. Only, this lovely introvert didn't really need me. He had a hug and a snuggle, then went happily over to a pile of duplos and built things, humming and talking quietly to himself. Occasionally he brought something over to display, but it bothered him not one bit that I was lying prone on the couch instead of playing with him.

As I was prepping dinner, Thomas asked for a snack. I provided one, and he grinned and told me that this snack was about to make him into a grown up. "Really?" I asked, "go look into the mirror and see." So he's been running to the mirror between bites, checking to see if he's a grown up yet. A moment ago he informed me that yes, now he is a grown up.

Seven years!

Yesterday Gabe and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.

This is us on our honeymoon. Don't we look cute?



This is us now. Still cute, no?



Copying my anniversary buddy Ma Torg (we share the same wedding date) I wrote out the highlights of our life together thus far:

Year 1: Gabe works at Imagine Systems and Emily starts a short-lived teaching career.

Year 2: Jonathan is conceived, carried, and born. Gabe starts a master's degree, Emily stops teaching, and we buy a house.

Year 3: Gabe keeps working on the degree while working part time at Imagine. Emily tries to juggle the house, the garden, and a rather demanding small child. Somewhere in there she achieves the rank of Black Belt in Tang Soo Do.

Year 4: Gabe graduates with a Master's Degree in Computer Science, and just in time, as baby number two is born two months later.

Year 5: Emily succumbs to her entrepreneurial heritage and starts Lullaby Slings.

Year 6: Our third baby is born...at home! Gabe starts working at Data Tree.

Year 7: Gabe becomes a Benedictine oblate. Emily assists at two births, then starts a doula certification program. Josiah turns 1, Thomas turns 3, and Jonathan turns five.

I like our life together. It has been full and good; rich in love and laughter and books and babies. Marrying Gabe was exactly the right decision.

Good deal on HP ink!

It is hard to find deals on printer ink, so I was really pleased to discover this one. Even more pleased to discover it on my own rather than reading about it elsewhere! Yay me. :)

HP is currently offering two great deals: FREE next day shipping on HP ink, toner, and paper, and FREE paper (up to $9.99) when you buy an ink multipack (limit 2). I believe this is part of their memorial weekend sale, so you should take advantage of it right away if you're interested.

On top of that, you can use the coupon code SVMX34931 to get $10 off a $50 subtotal.

So, go over to HP. Add one ink multipack, and one pack of paper. Make sure that your subtotal (before the free paper discount) is over $50. Then put in your coupon code. It ends up being a sweet little stacked discount!

Here's what I bought:
27/28 ink multipack $41.99
Bright White paper $9.99

SVMX34931 discount -$10.00
FREE paper discount - $9.99

tax +$2.96
TOTAL: $34.95 for two ink cartridges AND a pack of paper!

Great deal on children's books

Better World Books is having a sale on their used children's books. If you put 5 in your cart, the price will automatically adjust to only $2 per book! And shipping is FREE. I have ordered from Better World Books in the past and have been delighted with their products and their customer service. If you're looking to build your child's library, this is a great opportunity. Take a look at the extensive list of participating items right here!

(No, I don't get any sort of kick back for recommending this company - I just really like them and think this is a good sale.) :)

Schooling with Jonathan

I can't ever remember what (if anything) I've posted about our plans for schooling Jonathan. Well, we're planning on homeschooling next fall, probably through a combination of CHEP (a public homeschool charter) and possibly a friend who will be teaching a small group of homeschool students two mornings a week. Mostly, though, we'll just keep doing what we're already doing, which is what keeps my anxiety at bay. :)

Right now we have "preschool time" three or four mornings a week. Sometimes we practice handwriting, sometimes we do a math page or play with Mortensen math blocks. Some mornings we read together in the BOB books. Sometimes we do animal discovery and sometimes we paint models and sometimes we bake bread. As long as we rotate and don't get stuck on just one thing forever, it doesn't really matter to me which one we do. And Jonathan is much happier when he gets to pick. :) Obviously that can't last forever, but for now it is working well for us.

Depending on the day and the activity and the interest level, we spend 20-60 minutes in this semi-formal "schooling". The rest of the day is informal. We read books together, they read books to themselves during quiet time, we play outside and garden and when I do laundry they help sort and match socks. Jonathan is learning to fold his own shirts! There is so much more to learning than just "academics", and I'm starting to relax into this gentler understanding of school.

Fun things

Gardening with the boys



Capturing pill bugs





Watching birds nest in our hanging planter - it is a little hard to see, but those are two baby birds on the left side of the mama! (This was taken a week ago, and now the babies are flying!)



Ice cream cones in the sunshine



A visit to a small local farm to see the baby goats

Dr. Biter AKA "Dr. Wonderful"

Dr. Biter (often referred to as "Dr. Wonderful") is a OB in the San Diego area. He is known for his care of patients and championing a woman's right to choose a birth without intervention. On May 7th, his privileges at Scripps hospital were suspended without notice. Scripps is not currently commenting.

Dr. Biter is one of those doctors that we all wish we could have - the doctor who takes his time, offers support and respect, and sits on his hands instead of reaching for his scalpel. And while we don't know the details or what exactly is going on, it is worthwhile to follow the story and (I think) to support this man who has given so much to his patients.

Dou-la-la has some excerpts of a beautiful birth story (Dr. Biter attending) here.

She also has the most current details.

Photo credit: EOS Photography

Babies and Bellies giveaway

Hey folks, Nicole over at Bellies and Babies is holding a whole slew of pregnancy/doula related giveaways this month, and I'm participating! Go take a look at some of the interesting things available, and enter to win! My offering is a midwifery scale sling, if you're interested. Enjoy!

Honeymoon cookin'

Have any of you heard of Kara Kilmer? She is one of the girls on a Hulu show called "If I Can Dream". Honestly, the show isn't that great. But I'm still watching it each week, entirely because of Kara. Not only is she a very talented actress and vocalist, she's also a Christian, and I am blown away by her winsome grace in the middle of Hollywood.

Anyway, Hulu just posted a short video of Kara recording her song "Honeymoon cookin'" in studio. It is a lot of fun and Kara has a wonderful voice. Enjoy!

Raising kids with Romeo

I thought this was great. Thanks, Sarah, for posting it!

Evidence

This evening I was going through last month's pictures on our digital camera. Right after the Easter photos I found this:



Isn't it nice that they documented their naughtiness?

Consequences

Jonathan and Thomas trashed their room today during quiet time. Now, normally I don't have a problem with messes. They play, have fun, and eventually we have a pick up time. But this was an issue of disobedience, because they were supposed to be playing with a few select toys on their beds (not getting off or playing with each other).

So in a moment of brilliance, instead of getting mad, I explained that they would have to pick it up before they came out.

It's looking like I'm going to get a lot of time to myself this morning. :)