Friday, July 23, 2010

Dream Shopping day...

having fun and looking at some beautiful stuff....my dream shopping list that I'd love to buy for myself

This gorgeous quilt: Would love to use it for just meditation-I am learning to do this for relaxation and it helps me go to sleep!

This great wallet: I know she does customs. I'd be tempted to get in some of my favorite fabrics-although this one is pretty cool too!

a custom order with this lady for this AMAZING fiber. I would probably pass out if I were lucky enough to get it!

a mama messenger bag from this lady with either the tree of mushrooms applique-and lots of patchwork! (seen HERE )

too many buttons to count from TessaAnn

this awesome laptop bag from this store

this amazing ring


so what are you drooling over on Etsy right now?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

meal plan (before) monday!

OK, so this is going to be a heavy meat week for us. It is just too hot to cook on or in the stove, so we are sticking to the grill and crockpot this week!

Breakfast: assorted muffins/yogurts/cereals/oatmeal
lunch: sandwiches, bean burritos etc

Dinner:
Turkey/apple burgers on the foreman with salad
Grilled chicken with baked potatoes (in the crockpot!) and assorted fresh fruits
rushville burgers (all bbq beans and cabbage! yummy)
beans/rice
grilled chicken and veggie salad
no hurry vegetable curry.

whew. 3 nights of meat? not sure how I am going to like that one!

Friday, July 16, 2010

asperger's sucks

most of the time I am pretty good at keeping a smile on my face. I can deal with the tantrums. The lack of understanding and the constant re-explaining of things so that his brain can process it.
I can deal with his anger and his inability to calm down. I can deal with the fighting and the strife and just the everyday "stuff"
Because that is just a part of dealing with my son who just happens to have aspergers.

But today, I am floundering. Only a few hours into the morning I am in tears and wishing for the night so that I can go to bed and not have to deal with it.

I am wishing for that one small piece of extra patience that I am needing and not finding.

I love him. And yet today, it is just too much.

Asperger's sucks.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Meal plan monday

oh look! I made it today to post our plan for the week! Quite the ordeal it seems lately! LOL

breakfast:
assorted cereal, muffins, yogurts, fruits.
also doing cream of wheat berries with cranberries and cardamom in the crockpot via FRESH FROM THE VEGETARIAN SLOW COOKER

lunch:
nothing new this week. we are winging it and using leftovers and fresh produce. kids favorite way to eat!

dinner:

vegetable dumplings via vegan family favorites
chicken tacos in the crockpot
israeli couscous salad from fat free vegan
overnight crockpot black beans with homemade bread
massur dal with jasmine rice

assorted fruits/veggies/salads to accompany.

we had a really busy weekend! Took the kids to the renaissance faire in Meridian and had fun.






and then we went to the Lavender Festival and had a blast. We picked lavender, sampled lavender "nemon-name" (lemonade via harrison) and got to sit and just enjoy the beautiful farm while we sat in the shade.

Noah was a huge help and really did good in cutting the lavender. I was very impressed with his willingness to help.


Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Breastfeeding in public is NOT bad


Welcome to the July 2010 Carnival of Nursing in Public

This post was written for inclusion in the Carnival of Nursing in Public hosted by Dionna and Paige at NursingFreedom.org. All week, July 5-9, we will be featuring articles and posts about nursing in public ("NIP"). See the bottom of this post for more information.

***

I will never forget the humiliated feeling I had the day I was asked to cover up while breastfeeding my son in Wal-Mart. He was my 7th child, but only the 2nd child that I was able to successfully breastfeed. I thought I was a very strong woman and would never encounter anything like it. And then, it happened.

Harrison was a few weeks old and had a pretty rough start. He was born with silent GERD and spent the days crying a lot. He was in a car accident when he was just 10 days old that totaled our vehicle. Our moments throughout the days went back and forth between me holding him constantly on my chest while I tried to sleep sitting up, or wearing him in a sling. Either way, he was upright and being held all the time. He also had difficulty breathing, so I never covered his face while nursing as to not restrict his air flow.

I had to go the store for Christmas shopping, so I loaded all 7 kids up in the van and off we went to Wal-Mart. As happens with young babies (he was 1 month old at the time), he needed to eat while we were there. I looked for somewhere to sit and could not find an empty bench, so I went to the changing area in the middle of the store. I proceeded to sit quietly with the other kids and nurse him. The ladies that worked back there just smiled at us, and I like to think nodded approvingly. Within a few minutes a man walked by and made a comment of total disgust and I was approached not even 2 minutes later by a store manager. She said to me “'ma'am, if you are going to do that, I am going to ask you to please cover up with a blanket or something" I froze. I was in shock. I felt sick to my stomach and started to shake. I responded “sorry, no I won't-but thank you” The other 2 employees and the shoppers (there was a lady from my church right there) all made comments like "you are fine honey" etc. to me and I continued on: "I have a legal right to sit here and feed him!" The manager then said "I realize that, but some man walked by and was uncomfortable" to which I replied "well that isn't MY FAULT!"

The manager left and the other ladies (the Wal-Mart employees) offered me support for what I was doing. I then got really upset and started to cry. I asked for the employees name and said I wanted to make a complaint. They immediately got me a manager who basically offered me platitudes and said she would address it. I told her that I had planned on doing a lot of shopping that day but I was now going to leave and not spend my money there. I even called the corporate offices and was basically shot down.

As I was leaving the older woman employee came over again and told me how proud she was of me for feeding him like that. When she saw my tears, she gave me a hug. I will never forget that lady.

To this day, my eyes still well with tears when I remember the situation and how I felt. I was totally covered. I am very modest. What was so offensive? Why was it ok for their employees to have shirts so low their breasts are hanging out, but I could not breastfeed my son while totally covered without enduring harassment?

I am proud of myself for standing up and saying NO to being asked to cover up. But I am also equally sad for how that experience made me feel about breastfeeding that day-like it was shameful or dirty. Breastfeeding is a beautiful gift that we give to our children. That should never be taken away from us.




Art by Erika Hastings at http://mudspice.wordpress.com/

Welcome to the Carnival of Nursing in Public

Please join us all week, July 5-9, as we celebrate and support breastfeeding mothers. And visit NursingFreedom.org any time to connect with other breastfeeding supporters, learn more about your legal right to nurse in public, and read (and contribute!) articles about breastfeeding and N.I.P.

Do you support breastfeeding in public? Grab this badge for your blog or website to show your support and encourage others to educate themselves about the benefits of breastfeeding and the rights of breastfeeding mothers and children.




This post is just one of many being featured as part of the Carnival of Nursing in Public. Please visit our other writers each day of the Carnival. Click on the links below to see each day’s posts - new articles will be posted on the following days:
July 5 - Making Breastfeeding the Norm: Creating a Culture of Breastfeeding in a Hyper-Sexualized World
July 6 – Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers: the New, the Experienced, and the Mothers of More Than One Nursing Child
July 7 – Creating a Supportive Network: Your Stories and Celebrations of N.I.P.
July 8 – Breastfeeding: International and Religious Perspectives
July 9 – Your Legal Right to Nurse in Public, and How to Respond to Anyone Who Questions It

Friday, July 02, 2010

Making a difference

There are times in our lives when we have the chance to help make a difference in someone else's life. Whether it be a kind word, an offer of baby sitting, a ride to the store or even a batch of cookies dropped off anonymously on the door--there are so many ways in our every day life to touch someone else.

I have had many opportunities to help other's before. I've been the recipient too. This week I got to help be the giver and it felt so good.

A good friend whose daughter has a debilitating illness needed some cheer brought into her day-and we stepped up and made it happen.

This young girl goes through so much everyday-in ways that we cannot even comprehend and in situations that we take for granted everyday. There is so much work and worry and pain that accompany her everyday actions. To just eat or get out of bed-or even give a hug. The little things that we do without even a conscious thought.

It reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for with my own children and family. And that while we may struggle-there are those that are struggling even more.

So I may have helped to brighten someone's day and made a change in their life, but really, I had even more change in my own.

If you have a chance-do something nice for someone else. Big or small, it will be greatly appreciated-and you never know how much change your will bring to them-and yourself.