tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65522747160197471282024-03-18T20:32:11.370-07:00The Irreverent Mamarandom commentaries on life, motherhood, and maintaining peaceThe Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-23351176903591680872013-10-30T21:23:00.000-07:002013-10-30T21:23:01.406-07:00Attack of the Killer Grains!I feel as if I've been poisoned. If you watch Boardwalk Empire, think about the douchebag frat boy and what happened to him. As I watched that episode, I thought....I feel like that! Well, until he died in his own puke. It hasn't gotten that bad--yet. I began removing some newer supplements and still felt terrible. In fact, I almost had to leave work on two different occasions because of being nearly doubled over in pain. My diet hadn't changed, but 1-2 weeks prior, I began taking some other supplements and a new protein powder. I closely examined every ingredient in each and what I found was shocking---GRAINS! Those sneaky bastards are everywhere.<br />
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Before buying this new protein powder, I read the ingredient list online and did not see anything suspect except for pea protein, which isn't paleo, but never gave me trouble before. Looking at the actual bag, I discovered quinoa and amaranth. It isn't a lot, so it took nearly 2 weeks to do its damage. Then I looked at some of the supplements I'd been taking for the past month and sure enough: rice bran, oat bran (all "gluten free" of course). <br />
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The powder was all my fault, but the supplements were prescribed by my naturopath who knows I am off all grains. It's happened on two different visits, the prescribing of grains to treat my digestive issues. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on supplements that are toxic to my body. I'm at the end of my rope and searching for a new doctor. I want to discontinue most of the supplements and use a more restrictive diet to heal the digestive tract and then slowly re-introduce foods one by one. <br />
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Clearly, this is not the season to embark on the 30-day healing diet so I'm waiting until January. In the meantime, I am discontinuing about half of the supplements and the protein powder and hoping that helps. I'm still doing my lifting and HIIT workouts 2-3 times a week and after 3 months have started some light running again.<br />
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So that's my little update. Hopefully next post will be more positive.<br />
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<br />The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-63883887769940253572013-07-23T10:31:00.001-07:002013-07-23T10:31:29.231-07:00Dear Coffee, It's Not You; It's Me.It is with great sadness that I make this announcement. After a strong, 28 year relationship, coffee and I are separating. This is truly devastating to me. I'm not sure how the coffee feels. Of course, I can't just give it up 100%, but I need to drop down to only 1 cup a day and work my way to nothing. Why? It makes me bloated, nauseous, and gives me a stomach ache. It sits undigested for hours in my stomach, just sloshing around in there. It's gross. Not to mention my adrenals are in bad shape and coffee contributes to that. My naturopath had me cut back to only 2 mugs a day 6 months ago so it's about time I cut back again. My first cup usually isn't too bad, but the second is a killer.<br />
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As a side note, over the past few days I've learned that eggs (a staple of the Paleo diet) are very hard for me to digest as well. So I'm back to smoothies (also not endorsed by the Paleo gurus), but it gives me the nutrients I need in a way that does not make me sick and that I can consume quickly in the morning. <br />
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So far, my list of "no-no foods" are as follows:<br />
dairy products<br />
eggs<br />
all grains (including corn)<br />
sugar<br />
soy<br />
coffeeThe Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-50358324513156670742013-07-22T10:47:00.002-07:002013-07-22T10:47:24.694-07:00The Road to Wellville--Mile Post 1If you haven't seen the film or read the novel with the same title, I highly recommend it. It's hilarious and based upon true characters and events (somewhat)--check out a synopsis here:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Wellville" target="_blank"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Wellville.</a><br />
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In earlier posts, I've mentioned trying just about every diet (plant-based, low-carb, etc) and many alternative treatments. Some made sense and others, like in the film, seemed pretty ridiculous. Several years ago, when I was too sick to get to work much of the time, I went to my doctor. This was an MD in internal medicine. So many tests were run. My insides were examined via ultrasound only to find nothing wrong. Meanwhile I could barely eat, had debilitating stomach pain, nausea, bloating, heartburn, and needed to always be close to a bathroom. I also began having severe panic attacks almost daily. I was diagnosed with IBS and told to start Prevacid. Two years later, when experiencing severe post-partum anxiety and depression in addition to the other symptoms, I started Zoloft, which my doctor told me often helps IBS as well. It did. My digestive problems lessened as did the anxiety. But.....I still had stomach aches, bloating, and some intestinal issues (just not nearly as bad). <br />
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After giving birth to Liam in 2010, I returned to the gym doing Zumba 3-4 days a week and running every other day. I could barely run for 30 seconds when I first started, but within a year I was able to run an 8K. I also joined Weight Watchers and went gluten-free at the suggestion of my first naturopath. I lost the baby weight. I started my pregnancy at 125 lbs, was 170 at the end, and by the time Liam was 2, I was 122 lbs. But I still felt bad. The gluten-free diet did not help me at all. In fact, I felt worse. I had aches and pains, sciatic nerve problems, and gained 15 lbs over the next few months. I was exhausted all the time. I couldn't think clearly. My hair started falling out. My eczema and acne returned.<br />
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This past winter, I began seeing my daughter's naturopath and also went to see my new MD at Kaiser. They ran full blood panels. According to my MD, I was fine. Nothing wrong at all. My naturopath said nothing was alarming, however my thyriod, vitamin B, and iron levels were lower than optimal. She determined that I have "leaky gut" and therefore malabsorption of certain minerals. I am now on a ton of supplements. I can't attest to their effectiveness yet since it's only been 2 weeks. <br />
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The other radical change (and huge financial investment) I've made is leaving 24 Hour Fitness after many years to join a strength training gym, <a href="http://www.clackamaspc.com/" target="_blank">Clackamas Physical Conditioning</a>. It's like a Crossfit gym, but does not operate under the "crossfit" brand. The gym requires that you do 6 sessions of personal training and pass a form test before officially joining classes. About 50% of the people who do this pass the test the first time. Last Friday, I had my last training session and Saturday morning I passed the test without much difficulty (those back squats are hard!). Tuesday I go to my first real class and I'm a bit nervous. <br />
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Today also marks my renewed commitment to Paleo eating. I attended a basic Paleo nutrition class yesterday offered at the gym and the owner suggested making small changes incrementally to ease into this very difficult way of eating. In this <a href="http://everydaypaleo.com/a-case-for-baby-steps/" target="_blank">blog post</a>, you can read Jason's philosophy on baby stepping into Paleo. So this week, my baby step is to not snack after dinner. No, eating at night does not break any Paleo rules, but it's when I'm likely to break them via crunchy or sweet snacks. snacking while watching tv at night is a habit, and we all know that to break a habit you need to: a) find the cause of the undesired behavior, and b) find a replacement behavior. The cause of my snacking is simply that I associate it with tv watching and it occupies my hands. What else could do this? Tonight, I am going to file and paint my nails. I'll let you know how that works out.<br />
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<br />The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-78982374481689838572013-07-03T13:39:00.000-07:002013-07-03T13:39:10.558-07:00Paleo Go-GoWhen I initially had <a href="http://www.holistichealingandnutrition.com/2011/12/what-is-nutrition-response-testing/" target="_blank">nutritional response testing</a>, I came up sensitive to dairy, all grains, and potatoes. As I sought out recipes that avoided those foods, I learned that my new diet for healing was pretty close to the <a href="http://thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-on-the-paleo-diet/" target="_blank">Paleo </a>diet. The thing about this diet is that it is very high in fats and difficult to maintain.<br />
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I've been trying to adhere to the restrictions (eating the occasional potato and legume), but have yet to be able to eliminate sugar and coffee. My new food routine has me consuming the largest quantity of calories for breakfast: 2-3 slices of bacon and a smoothie consisting of: berries, a banana, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, flax meal, raw spinach, and pea protein powder with stevia (no sugar). <br />
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Lunch is almost always a salad with meat. I fill an entire plate with mixed greens and top with broccoli slaw, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms and bacon, turkey, or fish.<br />
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The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-61974739653158924942013-06-27T13:52:00.002-07:002013-06-27T13:52:42.449-07:00I'm Back!It's funny how my last post, over two years ago, is exactly where I remain today. Stuck in poor health. Many things in my life have improved since April, 2011, however, and I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge what's going well:<br />
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1. The Home: On April 1st, we listed our small home of 7 years for sale. By May 4th, we had closed and moved into a temporary 2 bedroom apartment. In February, we signed a contract with a local builder to purchase a new home. Scary, since we've only seen the floor plans, but a great price and nothing would need to be fixed, updated or renovated. <br />
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2. The Career: I'm still teaching middle school, doing reading intervention mostly with 6th graders. But I'm at a different school within the same district. During the 2011-2012 school year, I decided I had enough of some of the goings-on in my building and requested a transfer. My request was accepted! The 2012-2013 school year was one of my most challenging, but by far the best. It was the first time I worked with 6th grade beginning readers. These kids struggled and developed some significant coping strategies that often made them difficult to teach. I had some great student successes and a few I was unable to reach. Every day was critical in the lives and the futures of my students. What a wonderful job to have! My interactions with adults also improved.<br />
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So now for the reason I returned to my blog........I feel like crap and no one can figure out why. I could just "accept" feeling sick, bloated, depressed and anxious, exhausted (not to mention going bald!). Thing is, that is just not acceptable. I refuse acceptance in this matter. My latest journey is into the Paleo lifestyle. I've tried traditional medicine, natural medicine, acupuncture all with no results or definitive answers. So now there's this. The Paleo thing. After trying so many paths to wellness, I'm pretty skeptical. And I know my Facebook followers probably don't want to see and read about all my meals and how I feel after each one. So I'll just do that here.<br />
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Now I hear a 3 year old calling "mommy," so I'm off....The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-72758573654775806122011-04-05T23:14:00.000-07:002011-04-05T23:14:29.783-07:00Food, Fitness and the Working MamaRemember the days when you were 25, worked part-time at a job that required a great deal of physical exertion, spent an hour every day at the gym working out followed by a 30 minute sauna, went on a 2 mile power-walk every morning and evening, and walked to work, the co-op, the bar? <br />
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Remember looking in the mirror and seeing the same young face you were born with, before feeding two babies left your breasts sagging, stretch-marked and lop-sided and your lower abdomen stretched out like a piece of hide pulled from the head of a large drum? <br />
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Remember being able to tie a scarf around your chest and call it a shirt? Having size 30 pants fall off your hips and require a belt? Being able to wear a tank top without the support of a bra?<br />
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I remember it all too well and struggle with the reality of my transformed life every day. Although I can't stand how aging looks, I am willing to trade off a little of my appearance for the wisdom and centering that comes with "advanced" years. The problem is finding the time to always eat fresh foods and get the proper exercise.<br />
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I wish I could end this post with the perfect recipe for whole-body fitness that could accommodate the fluctuating schedule of a working mother, but I suppose if I had that figured out I would patent it, sell it, and spend the rest of my days doing whatever I please.<br />
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So consider this a cry for help.<br />
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Is it possible to fit in a 60-minute workout at least five times a week without neglecting your children?<br />
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What about unprocessed, wholesome lunches for work? Ideas????<br />
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Anyone?<br />
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Anyone?The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-69702901673742626372011-03-06T21:45:00.000-08:002011-03-07T05:42:42.600-08:00ProgressIt may be slow, but it most definitely is happening. I have wanted to write something prolific for weeks, but life has gotten in the way of that. The kids have been sick (I spent 3 hours in urgent care with Liam this afternoon), work continues to become more intense in all the wrong ways, and we are spending more family time together without electronics.<br />
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So instead of trying to compose a Nobel Prize-winning essay, I've decided to revisit<a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011the-year-of-happy-mama.html"> </a><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011the-year-of-happy-mama.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">my 2011 goals</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">. </span></b></a><br />
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Domain 1--The Home: I set out to accomplish some organizational projects, however my goals for the home have evolved. I still intend to deal with "organization," but by way of purging the house of non-essentials. This includes giving away much of our baby stuff to a co-worker, selling all extraneous furniture that no longer fits in our home and has taken up residence in the garage, consigning the kids' outgrown clothes and my maternity clothes, and taking everything I can't sell to Goodwill. In addition to the downsizing campaign, we are planning to build our garden in both the front and back yards. <br />
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Domain 2--Family: I have made time for Zoe and I to do things together as mother and daughter. We have played board games, made valentines, and resumed our evening ritual of cuddling under a blanket together while watching The Simpsons before her bedtime. We used to do it nightly until about a year ago when I became too pregnant to cuddle with her on the couch. I've been reading copious books on positive and gentle discipline. I completed <i>The Continuum Concept</i> and am half-way through <i>Unconditional Parenting</i>. I have <i>Positive Discipline A-Z </i>and am working my way through that as needed. I recently began <i>Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves</i> and have <i>Playful Parenting</i> waiting for me on the bookshelf.<br />
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Domain 3--Wellness: This is an area that I am still very committed to despite a small detour. Work is keeping me so busy that I often gave up workout time to stay late at work. My eating was not as great for a bit either, but I'm happy to say that I have found my way back to the path of wholesome, homemade, unprocessed foods. I have 16 lbs to go until I reach my weight loss goal, although that is secondary to eating a diet untainted by chemicals and GMOs.<br />
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Domain 4--Career: I am definitely re-committed to best practice in education, however my recent studies have led me in an entirely different direction than expected. For the first time in many years, I am considering homeschooling my children for at least part of their "school-age" years. Honestly, I cringe at the term "homeschool" and much prefer natural learning or community learning. I have no desire to shelter my children from reality, in fact, I'd prefer them to be more entrenched in real-life (which the typical schooling experience is not). Of course this means discovering a way to live without earning a salary, so I have been researching that possibility voraciously. <br />
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Domain 4--Recreation: Well, my goal of weekly blogging is obviously not going well. The other goals have taken priority and I am completely okay with that.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-14948002799081665082011-01-17T20:22:00.000-08:002011-01-17T20:22:53.225-08:00What is discipline?Now that my darling little girl has reached preschool age, her personality is developing at a furious rate along with behavior habits. About a year ago it occurred to me that we needed to begin some form of behavior guidance and character education with Zoe. I want her to be well mannered and, above all, to reject brat-dom. Despite being a professional educator, I was really at a loss as to how to do it. Honestly, I still feel very inept.<br />
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As a practitioner of responsive/intuitive parenting, the "gentle discipline" aspect is the piece I just don't have a handle on at all. I know very little about what it means ideologically and even less about how to put it into practice. We are solidly an anti-spanking family, but we do sometimes yell and the terms "being good" and "being bad" are used regularly. We use threats of time out,. loss of privileges (TV, playdates, etc), and going to bed early without a story. These threats usually garner compliance, but they cause a huge tantrum and a lot of tears and shame on the part of our little girl. I began to wonder if the word "discipline" was automatically connected to guilt, shame, and power struggles or if inside the concept there lies the secret of a confident and respectful child.<br />
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According to Dictionary.com, there are three definitions for "discipline" as a verb:<br />
<div class="pbk" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 15px;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">train</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">by</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">instruction</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">exercise; drill</span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">bring</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">state</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">order</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">obedience</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">by</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">training</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">and </span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">control.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"></span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">punish</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">penalize</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">order</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">train</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">control;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">correct;</span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">chastise</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;">I suppose the "gentler" definition is the first one. To train by instruction and exercise. In terms of developing socially appropriate manners, exercise and drill would be effective and gentle. Of course instruction should come first (explain to the child <i>why</i> we say "thank you" when someone does something nice for us). The exercise would eventually become a habit--instruction internalized. </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;">The challenge comes in imparting our values to our children without indoctrination. In allowing the tantrums and tears over bedtime because it is developmentally appropriate for a 3 year old to melt down. In teaching when and why to apologize rather than demanding a begrudging "sorry."</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;">Expect to read more on this subject as I seek out resources to better parent my own children and navigate the dicey world of character education.</div><div class="luna-Ent" style="background-color: white; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="dndata" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 37px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div>The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-41784714999927687602011-01-09T07:40:00.000-08:002011-01-09T07:40:41.719-08:00Adventures in Baby-led SolidsMy three-year-old daughter has issues with food and eating in general. We think it is related to power and control. Assuming that we were the cause of her issues, I sought out a different way to approach eating with our son. As I browsed around <a href="http://www.ecobabygear.com/">Eco Baby Gear</a> a few months ago, I saw a book titled <i><a href="http://www.babyledweaning.com/">Baby-led Weaning.</a> </i>I bought it and read it over the next 3 or 4 weeks and decided to put the baby-led principles into practice with Li Li.<br />
<br />
When our family doctor suggested giving Liam rice cereal at his 4-month well child visit, I was armed and ready. I whipped the book out of my diaper bag and proudly declared, "We are doing THIS."<br />
<br />
He flipped through it and said, "That looks fine, but you can give him cereal now."<br />
<br />
As Liam approached 6 months old, he began showing an interest in food and eating. Even though the book said not to introduce solids until he could sit up unassisted, I decided to give it a try given that he was 6 months old. I gave him some fingers of banana, cooked baby carrots, gluten and dairy free pancake, and cooked broccoli florets. He loved it all, but the fruit was too slippery and the broccoli fell apart in his hands. He seemed very happy when I would take some broccoli on my finger and put it into his mouth. He <i>wanted </i>to be fed.<br />
<br />
Going against the baby-led solids advice, I did an experiment with spoon-feeding. I pureed some carrots and smashed up some pears. Liam eagerly ate them from a spoon. Sometimes he would grab the spoon at which point I allowed him to attempt self-feeding. I watched for his signals and he let me know when he wanted more and when he was finished. Even though I spoon-fed him, he led the way. <br />
<br />
I still consider myself a practitioner of baby-led weaning/solids. We are still giving Liam finger foods. We look to him to let us know when he wants to be spoon-fed, when he wants another bite, when he wants to use the spoon, and when he is full. He is still breastfeeding on-demand when I am not at work. When he wakes at night, I nurse him back to sleep. He is in control of his own feeding.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-34092557017353985002011-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:002011-01-04T19:44:21.194-08:002011....the year of the Happy MamaI am definitely a person who makes plans, sets goals, and takes action. I am not always successful, but I like to think I do a better job with follow-through than the average New Year Resolution maker. <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>This year, I've set one goal in each domain of my life. They are all attainable, however some will be much easier than others.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Domain 1--The Home: Make consistent progress toward organizing the living room/dining room, full bathroom and kids' bedrooms. This means setting small goals each month and tasks to be done each weekend. This will be the most difficult of all the goals.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Domain 2--The Family: Cultivate a stronger, more positive relationship with my daughter. This involves my partner as well, since a positive relationship rests on both parents being on the same page with communication and discipline. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Domain 3--Wellness: Regain and maintain a weight of 120 lbs or less. By-products of this goal include paying close attention to how my body reacts to certain foods and supplements and running several 5Ks.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Domain 4--Career: Re-commit to truly responsive education and best practice in the face of increasing standardization and quantification of student learning. This may mean a second masters degree and a shift in how I contribute to the field if I become a casualty of Oregon's crappy budget.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Domain 5--Recreation: Continue to blog regularly--a minimum of one thoughtful post per week and make at least 1 article submission focusing on intuitive/natural parenting for the working mother.</div>The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-68443779766839999762011-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:002011-01-01T19:13:18.413-08:002010.....the year of the final BABY!I only haphazardly blogged through 2010. The year saw many changes:<br />
<ul><li>pregnancy</li>
<li>fear of Down's Syndrome in our unborn child</li>
<li>the fearful decision to undergo amnio </li>
<li>seeing our baby's little penis and knowing that we would have a son</li>
<li>the joy and relief at discovering that our son had no genetic disorders</li>
<li><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">the decision to embrace natural childbirth and leave my trusted OB at 30 weeks pregnant</span></a></span></b></li>
<li>doing self-hypnosis via the Hypnobabies homestudy course (if you know what a skeptic I am, you will know what a huge leap of *gasp* faith that was!)</li>
<li>carrying a large baby past 41 weeks without any desire for induction</li>
<li>going into natural labor for the first and last time the same day the USA won a match at the World Cup</li>
<li><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">giving birth without any medical interventions!!!!</span></b></a></li>
<li>welcoming our beautiful son, William Christopher, into the world</li>
<li><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">my husband losing his job</span></b></a></li>
<li>my daughter potty-training without any threats or coercion at 3 years old</li>
<li>my wonderful 5-month maternity leave with the greatest long-term sub on earth (thank you, Michelle!)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">my return to teaching and the homeroom from hell</span></a></b></li>
<li>the realization that I may get pink-slipped</li>
<li><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010/12/losing-my-sahd.html">t<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><b>he need for my husband to abandon his role as a stay-at-home dad and look for work</b></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://theirreverentmama.blogspot.com/2010/12/aint-i-mama.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">my struggles and triumphs as a working mother and intuitive parenting practitioner/advocate</span></b></a></li>
</ul><div>That's it in a nutshell. Stay tuned for my resolutions and plans for 2011.....</div>The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-37899467773714207772010-12-29T15:05:00.000-08:002010-12-29T15:05:00.665-08:00Losing my SAHD?Despite the financial disadvantages of living off one meager, maternity-leave lessened teacher's salary, I have really enjoyed having my husband at home the past few months. It has been invaluable since my return to work last month--laundry is done mostly during the day, dinners are prepared with no stress and little to no night-before prep work. There are only two people to get out the door each morning instead of four and I have the luxury of taking Zumba class at the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays after work.<br />
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Upon returning to work, I learned that there will be some pretty serious layoffs coming. Given my measly four years seniority and my ever-popular teaching endorsements in secondary language arts, drama, and reading, I was advised to brace myself for the worst possible outcome. Part of the preparation was finding a second source of income, hence losing my SAHD. Initially, we decided it wasn't worth it for him to even look for work until the spring or early summer so that Li Li could spend his first year at home with a parent but given that we need at least some money to pay the mortgage each month and access to a health plan for our family, he has begun his quest for new employment over the past two weeks.<br />
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Yesterday, he had a phone interview. The reality set in that we may soon be getting four individuals out of the house by 6:45 every day. It also occurred to me that I will have to give up my workouts........that means I will remain fat indefinitely. Ugh. My dilemma is this: stay fat and get my kids from daycare by 4:30 (closing time), or get the kids by 3:20 on Mondays and Wednesdays and take them to the childcare at the gym until 5:30 (more childcare and less Mom/Dad time).<br />
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I know most, if not all, of my current readers are SAHMs, so while I ask for advice, I understand you all may not have any to give. But perhaps you know someone who has managed to make it work.....with the exercise and all. <br />
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Suggestions are welcomed.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-83219370872893224022010-12-27T08:05:00.000-08:002010-12-27T08:05:33.172-08:00Ain't I a Mama?As I read more of the natural parenting and "mama" blogs out there, I feel as if I am in the minority on many issues, however, in the real world of Portland, Oregon USA I think I'm pretty typical, and in other parts of the country, dare I say, "weird." <br />
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The quintessential Mama is an educated (usually with an advanced degree) woman who relinquished her career in order to funnel her intellect into parenting and writing about it while her husband works to pay the mortgage <i>or</i> a woman who works at home part-time either in her chosen profession or creating some kind of hand-made items to sell on etsy (how's that for a run-on sentence!). She goes to playgroups, effortlessly whips her baby into that Moby wrap, has never given her child a bottle or let him cry while she pees or showers. She also does not send her children to public school (unless it's a magnet or charter). She never uses the word "no" with her child and somehow manages to keep her composure and always re-frame everything in the affirmative. The Mama never makes mistakes. She does everything right and agrees with all the other Mamas about all things parental. She does not do TV, or Santa, or candy and her kids don't mind because none of their other playgroup peers have access to these evils either. The Mama knows everything there is to know about attachment parenting....she can actually channel Dr. Sears...and she is more than willing to advise you on how to pee on an airplane while baby is in the Moby (yes, I have had this conversation with one of them). The Mama is the ultimate PC-er (except when you're referring to computers, then it's Mac all the way). She bends over backwards to accommodate those less enlightened because she prides herself on being tolerant of others. <br />
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The most important thing to know about a Mama is that.........................................................................<br />
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SHE DOES NOT EXIST! <br />
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This is something I have to remind myself of every so often when I'm rolling through Bloggyland. Because I do not fit the Mama mold in its entirety, my guilt snowballs as I click through page after page of like-minded woman spouting their reasons for doing elimination communication, not doing circumcision, not vaccinating and the plethora of other things that exclude me. I find myself lamenting with a bag of Skittles and asking<b> <i>ain't I a Mama? </i></b><br />
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The answer is a simple one: <b>Yes, you <i>are</i>!</b> <br />
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The truth is The Mama is an illusion. She is a composite of all things deemed "perfect" in modern parenting. She is like a Barbie in that she has bits and pieces of us, but in totality is a physical impossibility. Most of the Mamas in Bloggyland are writing about their successes, not their shortcomings. They are writing about their topic......natural/attachment/whateveryouwanttocallit parenting, so in order to stay on-topic they do not write about the time when they bribed their child with a cookie so she would just hold off the temper tantrum until they left the grocery store. They write about the aspects of perfection that they <i>can </i>attain and just don't talk about the ones that don't fit into their realistically imperfect lifestyle.<br />
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But guess what.......<b>I will!</b> I will share with you my successes and my failures. What works for me and what doesn't. Because I would hate for any of you to sit on your couch at night crying into a sugary snack while sobbing, "ain't I a Mama?"The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-55171348746825511402010-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:002013-06-27T15:10:57.058-07:00Thank You, David BrentOkay, I'll be back to comment on this later, but just wanted to make sure I got it out there now. I discovered the article on semi-crunchy mama's Facebook update and now I'm passing it along....<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/12/19/a-holiday-message-from-ricky-gervais-why-im-an-atheist/">A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais</a></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7mtuc1WeXOK2dODns5i4RCgVka1-iPfwXEuAC1YChH9WgwtOuPqz6Sxfecy87qh5_avbvZ5r-FdX6jFrpW-B_3Zw-jglNGH74AVtKQx5SA1Im-ns-YLKwWU-21fsmRiiPvJEBaH9xo0_/s1600/does+it+offend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7mtuc1WeXOK2dODns5i4RCgVka1-iPfwXEuAC1YChH9WgwtOuPqz6Sxfecy87qh5_avbvZ5r-FdX6jFrpW-B_3Zw-jglNGH74AVtKQx5SA1Im-ns-YLKwWU-21fsmRiiPvJEBaH9xo0_/s1600/does+it+offend.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7mtuc1WeXOK2dODns5i4RCgVka1-iPfwXEuAC1YChH9WgwtOuPqz6Sxfecy87qh5_avbvZ5r-FdX6jFrpW-B_3Zw-jglNGH74AVtKQx5SA1Im-ns-YLKwWU-21fsmRiiPvJEBaH9xo0_/s1600/does+it+offend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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I have finally returned for a very brief commentary on atheists vs Christians. And that sentiment is precisely what bothers me....one group "versus" the other. Despite trying to remain respectful of the faithful, Ricky still turns to an "us against them" mentality. I would <i>never </i>ask a believer to defend her faith...it's rude and disrespectful. Likewise, I expect to be treated with the same level of respect and not be asked about why I lack faith in a specific doctrine or doctrines. <br />
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The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-90161188276873837672010-12-16T19:45:00.000-08:002010-12-16T19:45:46.652-08:00One More Day!As of yesterday, I have been back to work for one month and I'm already living for the two-week holiday break. Teaching is hard work. I like my job on most days, but I wish that I could work half time and spend the other half of the week with the kids doing playgroups. <br />
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As a result, I try to jam as much "mom" time into my breaks. I have fun mommy-group stuff planned for much of the next 2 weeks. I just need to survive one more day with my 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-65955494612073728322010-12-15T05:46:00.000-08:002010-12-15T05:46:37.333-08:00Gluten free----not for meI have not enjoyed doing this gluten-free trial during the holidays. It's hard enough avoiding dairy and soy proteins, but throw gluten into the mix and eating out is truly impossible. Yes, I could pack my own food when going to someone's home for a party, but bringing your own meal is definitely frowned upon at restaurants. This year it just so happens that three holiday events are taking place at restaurants.<br />
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Yesterday after another exhausting day at work, I rushed to pick up Zozu, go home and nurse Li Li, and get to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/">Laurelwood</a></b></span> in less than an hour. We arrived about 10 minutes late (not bad), but this did not allow me to eat beforehand so I was left with two choices: 1) starve, or 2) just eat and not worry about the gluten. I chose option #2. <br />
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Honestly, I have not felt any change in my body since going gluten-free and while we have seen some improvement in Li Li's disposition, it has been very slight and most likely due to him just getting older and less fussy. He still spits up and still does not have daily poops. So I will consider last night's meal a test to confirm that gluten is in fact not an issue for us. I plan to resume gluten-free eating until Christmas and if there are no ill effects from the burger bun and beer, I will be enjoying some gluten-filled foods on Christmas day!The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-78435945278945464452010-12-12T07:46:00.000-08:002010-12-12T07:52:14.123-08:00DreamingLast night, Chris and I went out to dinner sans kids for the first time since August 2009 and to a movie for the first time in about a year. We began our evening at <b><a href="http://miosushi.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Mio Sushi</span> </a></b>where I had a bowl of miso, spicy white tuna rolls and a rainbow roll. I was stuffed. We then headed over to <a href="http://www.laurelhursttheater.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Laurelhurst Theater</span></b></a> for the movie. The theater is right next to the building where my midwives are located so it reminds of being pregnant. I was so full from the sushi that I kinda felt pregnant!<br />
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Now, back on topic.....dreaming. The movie, if you haven't seen it, is about the layers of reality that our subconscious creates and how that gets tapped into when we dream. In the film, there are a group of people who mess around in the subconscious of others in order to extract information from them while they are asleep. This is typically to gain secret business info, access codes to money, etc. <br />
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I have always been a very vivid dreamer and really intrigued by how our minds work while we sleep to reorganize our emotions, anxieties, and relationships. So I am asking for help from my handful of readers today....share a dream you have had. It can be recurring, recent, once from childhood. If you don't have clear memories of your dreams, please share how you experience dreams...what do you remember, how do you feel during and after? Do you notice specific foods that trigger more vivid dreams?The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-64498684259752963422010-12-10T05:40:00.000-08:002010-12-10T05:40:13.537-08:00Health StalledI have to make a confession........for the past week I have NOT tracked my meals and I have barely exercised. My return to work is not as easy as I had hoped. It is so stressful for many reasons. In order to facilitate weight loss I decided to cut out wine except for on weekends, but that has not worked out so well. I have also found gluten-free, dairy-free sweets in the house and am eating them. Yesterday was my weigh-in and Weight Watchers meeting and I did not stay for the meeting (too many papers to grade) but I did weigh in and for the first time I didn't lose anything.<br />
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The gluten-free experiment is not yielding clear results. Li Li is pooping more regularly, but still spitting up a lot. I feel no change in myself.<br />
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Another drive-by post today.....better luck tomorrow!The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-54414962363736171022010-12-08T05:28:00.000-08:002010-12-08T05:28:32.458-08:00Battling ExhaustionAs the recession continues, those of us left in the workplace are working 2-3 times as hard to cover the workloads of those laid off. Add a new baby and a toddler into the mix and it makes for one constantly tired and crabby mom. What's even worse for those of us in the education field is that our federally mandated "standards" and government determined "progress" toward those standards continue to increase as our staff decreases. So we are left to do more with less. There are definitely not enough hours in the day to accomplish all the data collection, analysis, and meetings on top of planning instructions, keeping gradebooks up to date, filling out daily behavior reports, calling parents.......ugh.....the list never ends.<br />
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So today my post is disgracefully short, but I need to fit in a shower, making and packing breakfast and lunch, cleaning and packing the breast pump, and getting ready to lead a meeting all in 1 hour. Ha!The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-50841384422133886772010-12-06T05:47:00.000-08:002010-12-06T05:47:11.182-08:00Breastfeeding and the Working MotherAs I continue to breastfeed my second child while teaching full time, I've come to realize how few teachers actually pump milk for their children once they return to work. In the 3 1/2 years I've been teaching at my current location, five other women have had children and returned to teaching before their babies were 6 months old. Only one of them breastfed and pumped after returning to work. The truth is, it is hard to pump milk when teaching at our over-crowded school. There is no opportunity to close the door and pump in the classroom while grading papers. Every classroom is used every period. In fact, every single room in the school is used for something: an office, a classroom, a meeting room. There is only one place left.....the bathroom.<br />
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According to Oregon law (and federal mandates put into place by the new health care reform) an employer with more than 50 employees must provide a space other than a restroom for mothers to express milk and the breaks necessary to do so. I do get the opportunity to pump every 4 hours, but that is my prep time which means I have to do the grading that would have happened during those breaks on my off-time. Also, pumping every 4 hours is not enough to feed my 5 month old son pure expressed breast milk. His daytime bottles are mixed half-and-half with formula. <br />
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As I browsed the list of employers who have been recognized by the state of Oregon for following, and pioneering, the mother-friendly workplace guidelines, I noticed not a single school district was listed. Am I the only person that finds it appalling that public organizations devoted to the care and development of children do not support breastfeeding mothers?The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-31638351620475377562010-12-04T06:49:00.000-08:002010-12-04T06:49:56.192-08:00This month's "theme" is.....<div class="xg_module_body" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><i>The theme for December is ZEITGEIST. You have 31 days to try to capture the mood of your culture and your life as they exist right now. Use every tool in your blog box: words, photos, music...?</i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 26px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;">Currently, the "mood and culture" of my life is strongly influenced by my desire to restore my aging body to its former, pre-childbearing state. The state of Oregon has offered all public employees the benefit of Weight Watchers as part of our preventative health plan. Having recently given birth and gaining 40 pounds, I took advantage of this free service and have lost 12 pounds since starting the program two months ago.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also hope to get in great physical shape...meaning strong....by my 40th birthday which is less than three years away. My goal is to finally take the honeymoon I never got because we couldn't afford it. We want to go to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary and I want to be able to wear a bikini.....yes, a bikini at 40 years old. I haven't worn one since I was 25.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So a large part of my culture revolves around healthy eating and working out. I run and do Zumba 2-3 times a week and I do weight-lifting/strength training and yoga each one hour per week. I'm at the gym 5-6 days a week. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 26px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My diet is made up of 95% non-processed, fresh, organic food. I do not eat gluten, dairy products, or soy proteins. I eat tons of meat, rice, and vegetables. The dietary restrictions are most likely temporary. The dairy is due to my baby's intolerance to it through my breast milk and the gluten is a "test" to see if it helps my (and the baby's) intestinal issues. I plan to continue a limited dairy and soy diet since these products are difficult for the human body to digest in large quantities. And if the gluten-free diet does not change how I feel, then obviously I will return to eating the full range of grains. As a family, we are getting away from processed, pre-packaged foods. My husband became a stay-at-home dad after getting laid off last June which allows us more time for healthy food preparation. Luckily, he enjoys cooking.</span></span></span></span><br />
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</div>The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-48587700304681695512010-12-02T05:53:00.000-08:002010-12-02T05:53:09.047-08:00Take Two<img src="http://api.ning.com/files/3NaKwADB-K46SLy95jhMA2O*bh6QTCRk9diNOHJRbL1e5kk3iRsMcJYtneksqC3L/nablo.12.10.160.jpg?width=162&height=162" /><br />
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My efforts at posting every day in November were clearly insufficient. I simply got too tired to blog in the evening after teaching, working out, getting kids bathed, fed and ready for bed. I figured December might be easier since I will have my in-laws visiting to help with the kids and I will have half the month off work. <br />
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This afternoon is my post-Thanksgiving weigh-in at Weight watchers, so stay tuned to find out how much I gained.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-53004322978113587202010-11-24T05:55:00.000-08:002010-11-24T05:55:52.310-08:00Mutiny in HomeroomYesterday was a horrific day at work. I got very little accomplished and my day began with total mutiny. I knew it would be challenging returning from a 5 month maternity leave in November when the students are exhibiting their "holiday behaviors," but my homeroom class truly won the award for most disrespectful.<br />
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In the weeks leading up to my return to teaching, I had nightmares pretty regularly: I would give the class a directive and they would just continue to talk and do whatever they wanted. I would wake up freaked out and tell myself, "it's not really going to be <i>that </i>bad." Needless to say, my nightmares are becoming my reality.<br />
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The kids were in a pissy mood yesterday because the rest of the region got a snow day and because of the geography of our district, we did not. We got some ice and a light dusting, so we only had a 2-hour delay. The first 20 minutes of the day is Homeroom and there is a school-wide expectation that students are engaged in silent sustained reading during that time once the teacher had done morning announcements. Yesterday, we also had locker seals presentations. My class is one of the largest 7/8 homerooms in the school ---25 kids. Most homerooms are between 12 and 15. It took forever for me to do the announcements because kids kept socializing with their neighbors and if they are talking, I stop, stare at them, and wait for them to figure it out before continuing. I then explained that it was going to be difficult to award all the locker seals in one day, but I would try. In order to do this, I needed their cooperation. They should be reading silently and wait for their name to be called for locker seals.<br />
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They ignored me and continued to talk. Only 2/3 of the kids even had a book to read! This is a school-wide expectation. They <i>know</i> they need a book every morning. I restated the expectation. I'm sure my voice sounded a bit irritated by that point. I explained again that in order for me to do locker seals, I needed they to be silently reading. One lovely little girl had the balls to look me directly in the eye and say, "yeah.....like that's ever going to happen" with her best 13 year old sarcasm. It was at that moment that I snapped. It is never okay to yell at students, but I did it. I told her, in front of everyone, that it most certainly WAS going to happen even if I had to get the principal himself to come in. <br />
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This awful moment has made me physically sick ever since. Honestly, I am not sure how I am going to repair the damage done. I'm already known as a pretty "mean" and unpopular teacher. I am okay with that to a certain extent, but yelling is something I am working hard on eliminating in my family interactions and I don't want it to bleed into my work as well.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-37930457244065843792010-11-22T19:48:00.000-08:002010-11-22T19:48:36.546-08:00The Dairy DilemmaThe little guy's dairy issues have me totally stumped. Upon going back to work, we had to begin supplementing breast milk with a little bit of formula. Not much, maybe 8-12 ounces a day. I was worried because of his dairy intolerance that he would not be able to handle the whey protein. Luckily, he seemed okay. He spit up more, but was comfortable. I assumed he had outgrown his dairy issues. <br />
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So last Friday I decided to test Liam's intolerance by eating a yogurt (and some chocolate too). BIG MISTAKE! The next day, not only was there projectile vomiting, he was shrieking in pain as well. It sucked.<br />
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The confusing part is why he tolerates the formula but not a yogurt filtered through my body.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552274716019747128.post-15656512428828498222010-11-20T06:24:00.000-08:002010-11-20T06:24:25.888-08:00The Big Weigh-inI got my 5% star on Thursday! In 6 weeks, I've lost 5% of my total body weight. Since I'm a small person to begin with, 5% was only 8 lbs. I've actually lost 9.5 lbs since starting WW, so as long as I don't go overboard during Thanksgiving, I should be able to get my 10 pound star at my next weigh-in in two weeks. <br />
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As for the work-outs, that has been challenging now that I'm back to work and completely exhausted at the end of the day. I'm still doing them, but the running is not going very well. I have not been able to get past the 2 mile/25 min mark. Some days even that isn't possible. I did a 60 minute power lift class on Thursday and I am so sore. My legs and butt are killing me, so Friday I got on the treadmill and couldn't run longer than 5 minute stretches. Even walking hurt. Then toward the end of my time on the treadmill (I think I was at 2.33 miles), this man got on the treadmill next to me and he smelled horrific. Not like stinky pits, but like pure filthy funk. He smelled like he was homeless, which is doubtful given that if he were homeless he probably wouldn't have a gym membership. The stink was so unbearable, I had to leave.<br />
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I am heading to a 30 minute step class this morning, still sore.The Irreverent Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055026207171491883noreply@blogger.com0