tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28703269205554865152024-02-07T06:49:03.826-05:00The Green MommyI started this blog 9 years ago. I knew I wanted to be a Green Mom. Now a decade later I have realized motherhood is much more. Am I still the Green Mommy? Yes, but our lives are much bigger than that and I want to write about more than that. So welcome to The New Green Mommy.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.comBlogger407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-53056132506549728612020-06-02T06:46:00.001-04:002020-06-02T06:46:51.829-04:00My Thoughts As The World BurnsOk so it's 6:30 AM so bear with me as I work this out. Ok so who has seen Frozen 2... everyone? Ok good. Ok so at the end Elsa is presumed dead, Olaf is dead, Anna is all alone and she learns a sick and twisted truth. Her beloved people betrayed and hurt a different group of people, just because they were different and "different is dangerous". So she has a choice to make she can go home, marry Kristoff, forget about the people of the forest and rule Arendelle or she can "do the next right thing". She even sings a song about it. The last line of which is this "When it's clear that everything will never be the same again<br />
Then I'll make the choice to hear that voice<br />
And do the next right thing". So Anna chooses to destroy a huge dam and possibly destroy Arendelle to make things right with the people they wronged. In that moment she is not at home saying "All Lives Matter" or " What about Arendelle lives?" No she has giants bust down that damn and she makes things right. She heals a 3 generational wound between the kingdom and a minority group they had disenfranchised. I must have heard that song 20 times yesterday and it finally clicked. "When it's clear that everything will never be the same again Then I'll make the choice to hear that voiceAnd do the next right thing".<br />
You need to understand, saying All Lives Matter is not the next right thing. Being a party to fear, ignorance and bigotry is not the next right thing. To make this right we have to change everything. We have to break the dam and risk our world to bring peace. Anna did.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-46553712279815003902020-05-25T08:08:00.000-04:002020-05-25T08:08:45.708-04:00Memorial Day 2020Today I woke up to rain. For late May this is not an odd occurrence, in fact the last 5 or 6 Memorial Days were rainy, but the weather had not called for rain and the last week has been bright sun, clear skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s. So my first thought on waking up to pouring rain was, "The Earth is crying". So far we are about 5 months into 2020,somehow already almost halfway and so far almost the entire year has been a constant barrage of fear, death, pain, sorrow, loss, and sickness. <br />
This week a lot of things opened back up. A lot of restrictions were lifted. A lot of people jumped at that and stopped being safe. I don't understand the human or more accurately American ability to rationalize bad things away. A wolf ready to pounce doesn't go away because you say it is gone and stand in the opposite direction. No it jumps you from behind and tears your body limb from limb. This disease has been a wolf at our door all year.<br />
Today is Memorial Day. A day we honor those lost in war. Those who don't come home. Well this has been the biggest war we ever fought and the death count for the world is just under 350,000 and for the US it's nearly 100,000 which is almost 1/3 of all deaths in the world due to this virus.<br />
So this year yes I will remember my grandfather and Rob's grandfather and all the other veterans who did not come home or who came home but are gone now. I will honor their sacrifice. But I implore you to honor another kind of warrior this year, those who fought this disease and lost. Those warriors who never came home. Who died in hospitals away from loved ones choking as their lungs filled with fluid. Those who could not say goodbye, or did so via a computer screen. Those who when they died could not be buried or mourned properly, no funeral or remembrance could be had until the quarantine could be lifted.<br />
Think about them when you take off your masks, gather together, and risk infecting your loved ones. Think about them when you are grilling and laughing. Isn't that what Memorial Day is really all about? Thanking those who died while we grill hotdogs and forget? Life is for living...but stupid is as stupid does....<br />
Today I mourn, and keep my distance. I hate it as much as anyone, my mental health suffers daily but I am terrified of myself or someone I love of being the next victim of this terrifying and invisible war.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-32205870549657078762020-05-09T22:36:00.000-04:002020-05-09T22:36:07.050-04:00Returning to a New NormalWell here we are day 64 for my husband, day 56 for my children and day 49 for me. Tomorrow will be 50 days for me and my last day as well. Monday I return to work. As an Early Childcare Teacher I was essential from day one. However as numbers dropped quickly we found ourselves furloughed. Now as things in our area are starting to open back up, and our numbers are going back up a bit we are headed back to reopen our classrooms which have sat vacant since early March.<br />
To say I am not nervous would be wrong, to say I am not happy would also be wrong. I am overjoyed to be returning to any sort of normalcy and order but also terrified that I am putting myself and my family at risk. In the 49 days I have been quarantined my family has left our house (not counting picking up the weekly food drop offs from the school) a total of 5 times, 3 for grocery shopping and 2 times for home supplies. The idea of only leaving the house an average of less than 1 time per week is such a foreign concept or at least it used to be. Now we will be coming and going 2 times a day, 5 days a week. I also will be returning to a very different work environment than I left. Constant sterilization, hand washing (even more so than normal which is a lot in a childcare setting), and mask wearing. This will be the new normal.<br />
I have been watching what life is like now in China and Italy. They are further along in opening their countries back up but it is far from a return to what life once was. This is a new way of schooling, a new way of living. Come September, we still do not actually know if our children will be heading off to school and if they are, what will that look like?<br />
Today we were cleaning out the front storage closet and I found both their backpacks, still mostly brand new from only a few months use. They were still full of folders and papers from March. I guess we had been thinking that they would be returning to school in a few weeks so we never cleaned them out. A few weeks turned into the rest of the year. My children along with every school child in the State and most of the Country only got to have a half school year. So I cleaned out their backpacks sadly and packed them away for the Fall, thinking inside that they may not need them if they don't return to school at all.<br />
But that is just it, we do not know from one day to the next what life will be like. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We never did, but we at least had a good guess. Now though every day is a new normal and then as soon as we adjust, it changes again. So I am returning to work understanding that it is not a step back into my old life, but a step into the unknown. It will be new and maybe a little scary but we all must brave this world together and do all we can to protect those most vulnerable among us. So as this Country slowly begins to open back up, be safe. Wear a mask, stay 6 ft apart, and be extra aware of those around you. Check in on your neighbors, and loved ones. Let's make sure the new normal is a better world than what we left behind.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-9714161624207198442020-04-30T12:52:00.000-04:002020-05-09T22:47:23.773-04:00Garden BragI know I haven't written much in the last few years but most of you know we finally bought our first home in the summer of 2017. Well when we first moved in this was what the front garden looked like.<br />
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Now this may look very green and full but this was a disaster. It turns out all that green was morning glories and wild grapes and one very over grown bush. So the first thing I did was just yank it all out, cut it back, and see what would grow the next year. </div>
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So the next spring surprisingly a rosebush appeared and so did peonies and daffodils. So I added to that gladiolas, dahlias, more peonies, tulips, etc. So by spring of 2019 it looked more like this.</div>
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However I still hated the gross cement edging and even though I had added fencing and some ornaments and the flowers were coming in nicely, it still did not have the look I wanted and there was also the problem that by removing the drain spout that was right in the middle of my garden, the rain that would pour down would drown the middle of my garden. It just didn't look right. </div>
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which brings me to this spring.</div>
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I planted last Fall and this Spring about 20 more types of flowers both perennials and annuals, some that will bloom in April, some in May or June, some July and August. I also dug out the cinder blocks and added nice cedar edging. Most of all though I separated the 2 halves of the garden into 2 little round gardens with a decorative water feature in between. Someday I would like to turn this into an actual pond but for now it is just a bird bath fountain. </div>
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So here is the garden as it is right now. I have more edging coming in the mail to finish the one side and it's just now getting warm so not much is growing right now so I will definitely do an update post in a few weeks but here it is so far. </div>
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And here it is at night lit up with all the solar lights :)</div>
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So there is my front garden story.... it has been a work in progress for 3 years and will continue to evolve I am sure.</div>
<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-65904779419979881432020-04-30T10:07:00.000-04:002020-05-09T22:47:49.442-04:00Recycling a GardenSo one of my many projects in the last month was rebuilding our garden beds. I had 2 old beds that were falling a part and a bunch of wood from our old bed frame. So using just that I managed to build a really nice garden box. It is 8 ft long and 10 ft wide and 10 inches deep. The fencing is also recycled and so is the trellis arch. I bought those and have reused them for 3 years now (trellis) and 7 years (fencing). Then I filled it with compost and soil and voila. So here is the finished product. It was not easy, there are a lot of staples, nails, etc holding it together, but here it is. I am excited to finally have a smaller and more put together garden.<br />
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Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-33171677989144549472020-04-30T09:41:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:41:13.263-04:00Life In The Time Of CoronaOver the last few years I have started blogging again,and never really kept it up. I think because honestly life got busy but also mainly it was because I no longer had my own computer. Well after 7 years without one I finally got a new one. I am hoping this will be enough to keep me blogging. <div>
So here we all are. I began this blog in 2009. I had a 2 month old baby boy and a crappy apartment and I was debating going back to school. That was almost 11 years ago now. Now that 2 month old is a 5th grader. We also have an almost 6 yr old daughter. We have a dog again, a different one. We bought a house, I got my degree, I am a teacher with my own classroom. Life is good...</div>
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Or was....</div>
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In January of this year, right after New Years we began to hear the same story over and over on the news. Covid-19, Coronavirus, was heading to the US. The President said it wasn't bad, everyone said it was like a mild flu, we were near a cure, it was a hoax etc etc. </div>
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By February though it started getting a little more scary. It had hit the US. </div>
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March 1st came and it was tax refund time. Hubby and I were much more involved with getting our new refrigerator than a silly virus. By March 5th my classroom started to drop, numbers dropped all over the center. On March 7th Rob left work on Spring Break (he works for a local University) only to a few days later be told he would not be returning until they were not sure when. March 13th The kids had their last day of school and our numbers dropped even more as frightened parents started to stay home. March 15th the order came down that all the schools in the State were now closed. By March 18th grocery stores were bare. All cleaning or disinfectant supplies gone, toilet paper a dream of yesterday. Meat was impossible to find, bread a memory. We did find yeast though and started learning to bake bread. On Friday March 20th I was furloughed. On March 21st I began making masks for people. As of today I have made and given away 118 masks. On March 22nd the Stay At Home Order came through. Do not leave you homes unless it is an emergency. March 23rd we began HomeSchool.</div>
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So here we are it's April 30th. For my husband this is Day 54 of Quarantine. For my kids it's Day 48. For me it's Day 41. So far the US has had 1.06 Million cases with over 61,500 deaths. My State has had over 300,000 cases and over 18,000 deaths and my County has had 170 cases and 2 deaths.</div>
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We have gardened, sewed, painted, remodeled, baked, cooked, grilled, taught, cried, laughed, vegetated, binge watched, stared at walls, and most of all missed.....</div>
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Missed our parents and them spending time with their grandkids, missed my students, missed my classroom, missed routine, missed spending holidays with family (St. Patrick's Day, and Easter passed while in quarantine and we are coming up on Mother's Day.) miss friends, night's out, restaurants, movie theaters, drinks with the girls, backyard BBQ's with friends, taking my kids to the park, shopping for nothing....</div>
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Just life... I miss life!</div>
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But my family is healthy, and we have enough to pay our bills and fill our cupboards.... so we will keep on keeping on... I will continue to make masks for those who need them, and home school my kids, and stay home until we are told we can restart life again.</div>
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Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-85956076917762833862019-04-10T19:56:00.001-04:002019-04-10T19:56:34.917-04:00Today Sucked (a Mom on the verge)Today was one of those days...<br />
I woke up after a battle with insomnia and less than 4 hrs of sleep...<br />
I woke up to snow everywhere.. on April 10th.<br />
I had to work on what normally is my day off which made me feel all out of sorts.<br />
I got to work and everything seemed to be going weird all day, I won't go into details but work was not great.<br />
On top of all that it's National Siblings Day. I tried my best to put on a brave face and posted a sweet remembrance post but all I did was upset my sisters and actually upset myself as well. Something as silly as National Siblings Day now can make my whole world turn upside down. So while the world around me celebrated a fun little stupid day, I just am adrift in a sea of grief and confusion on just how one celebrates such a day after they lose a sibling. Am I one of 4 sisters now, or still one of 5 siblings?<br />
Then my kids show up and my daughter is crying because she is so tired. I assume she just had a long day and she will be ok after we get home. I get off work a little later than usual tonight and so of course we almost miss the bus. I am yelling and dragging my kids out the door and to the bus stop and then...<br />
The Bus Was Late..... of course...<br />
So despite leaving late we still had to wait another 15 minutes.<br />
So we get on the bus and River immediately falls asleep on me. I feel her head, she is warm. Great...<br />
We get home, I take her temperature... almost 102. Great...<br />
I take care of her, tuck her into bed, make dinner for me and Bug... and then I get sick....<br />
and sick...<br />
and sick....<br />
So now it's only 7:30 but I have to be at work at 6:30 AM and my stomach hurts, my kid is feavery, my other kid is a surly preteen who ignores we exist up in his room... and it's only Wednesday. It's mid April and there was snow this morning.... It's Sibling Day but my 3 sisters live three States away and my brother is gone. Today was a day where I do not want to be the adult, but instead curl up and hide in my bed....<br />
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-7611917695311676922019-01-12T16:37:00.001-05:002019-01-12T16:37:04.186-05:00Age Defying Eye Cream DIYSo my latest DIY project was Age Defying Eye Cream. For long time followers of my blog and those of you who can add, this blog turns 10 years old this year!! That means that I turn 36 this year. Now I am far from a vain person.... but alas even I have to admit at a certain age you start to try to at least slow the ravages of time and lie to yourself that you still look 21. But eyecreams can cost between 25 and 200$ for a tiny jar. So I did some research. The consensus was that caffeine and frankincense are the keys to anti aging. So the first step was to make coffee infused almond oil.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FdU1PKUOId5va11r9eE4FUg-tODIhQrDSV0tWIqw2-MQJCenduMe7uROGBGVrDMJsvYKpstEYmh-w_3DW58pcEuxbCh1rR_x09D3r-Ly8JtAGsziN5xWbWKSvdPoaTkzGbfxOMNAoStX/s1600/20190111_184139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FdU1PKUOId5va11r9eE4FUg-tODIhQrDSV0tWIqw2-MQJCenduMe7uROGBGVrDMJsvYKpstEYmh-w_3DW58pcEuxbCh1rR_x09D3r-Ly8JtAGsziN5xWbWKSvdPoaTkzGbfxOMNAoStX/s320/20190111_184139.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5PHTmt7YakcXI0pVpZqDJus-abc-XqkAwcdJu7rbAtftK3PZoFKbVv3_hcBwKScRDTwTH72Sahx6r7dzuo3h7FxhmSqghNf0zLEq_MCRbIomnX5BIfGIhfKzKWxfWa4ZghenFg0vjQBN/s1600/20190111_184106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5PHTmt7YakcXI0pVpZqDJus-abc-XqkAwcdJu7rbAtftK3PZoFKbVv3_hcBwKScRDTwTH72Sahx6r7dzuo3h7FxhmSqghNf0zLEq_MCRbIomnX5BIfGIhfKzKWxfWa4ZghenFg0vjQBN/s320/20190111_184106.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Then after it was infused I strained it out and poured it back in the bottle. It looked almost black and smelled like a strong coffee.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rU8IPGDEJj2i50K40TVFpIBDkJOacR0mdn5YrE0f-9eHMUeuo8eL0p0WrV-FeKJ6__xGJPHSTFcqgdxmzBf9reFd-hXJDGVVcgeE51tUfhkvwsDzJ-ezHLdTvj4OhKCYDoIO4WAC9-Mo/s1600/20190112_141703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rU8IPGDEJj2i50K40TVFpIBDkJOacR0mdn5YrE0f-9eHMUeuo8eL0p0WrV-FeKJ6__xGJPHSTFcqgdxmzBf9reFd-hXJDGVVcgeE51tUfhkvwsDzJ-ezHLdTvj4OhKCYDoIO4WAC9-Mo/s320/20190112_141703.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then you melt in a double boiler beeswax, frankincense oil, the coffee oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and vitamin E. </div>
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In the end this is how it turned out. It smells like a mocha!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblar20IyhwuL-FwHtoB8E8WyyTJ8wHzZrvU4RTPNtEc7ltMcodXzMgHNO9gvnMdovZ0bgkBLSwNef9TaETWo23pw8SpY9PNE9Qv4Gj96rqhY-bmHYOOFFOOPIN74HTLqV3kXK63l-KOZk/s1600/20190112_143349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblar20IyhwuL-FwHtoB8E8WyyTJ8wHzZrvU4RTPNtEc7ltMcodXzMgHNO9gvnMdovZ0bgkBLSwNef9TaETWo23pw8SpY9PNE9Qv4Gj96rqhY-bmHYOOFFOOPIN74HTLqV3kXK63l-KOZk/s320/20190112_143349.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I think I may offer it for sale if anyone wants some.</div>
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-19002275640397919162019-01-12T16:19:00.000-05:002019-01-12T16:19:22.103-05:00Snow Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPWLfgwRRM3t3tKrv5FxwWDteo2WKkK9Z9kErlNNVPGzoMSEFNCmZuzMPxdGEJnTdW5M8rKhke8AUWMxdahqKt4jI06ob2zj5eAZjPN7b-SQKnSFIvE5UmSg6luT835F81M0v9hb0BjUu/s1600/20190112_150303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPWLfgwRRM3t3tKrv5FxwWDteo2WKkK9Z9kErlNNVPGzoMSEFNCmZuzMPxdGEJnTdW5M8rKhke8AUWMxdahqKt4jI06ob2zj5eAZjPN7b-SQKnSFIvE5UmSg6luT835F81M0v9hb0BjUu/s320/20190112_150303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
One of my favorite winter fun activities is Snow Ice Cream. Basically you go collect fresh fallen clean snow and add whatever flavors you want and of course half and half or heavy cream. Then just mix it up. It's really hard to mess up. I make it with my kids every couple of years and yesterday I made it with my class too. Today my oldest asked to make some so we made it 3 ways. We made hot cocoa flavor, vanilla flavor and maple flavor. They were all delicious but hot cocoa was the best. If you have never tried it really what are you waiting for. It so easy!<br />
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-14621338950830300022018-11-03T12:27:00.000-04:002018-11-03T12:27:07.962-04:00New CrayonsSo as many of you know I teach Pre School. Two-Three year olds to be precise. So last night I took my approximately 75-100 crayons of assorted brands, sizes and colors and painstakingly took of all the wrappers, sorted them by color and melted them down and poured them into silicone molds to make toddler sized chubby crayons. Toddlers have a hard time with small crayons and even the jumbo sized ones I found they were still getting broken often and the kids had a hard time gripping them. So I made these for them. I am very excited to show my class on Monday. I think the flower shape will be easier to grab and the petals will allow for detailed coloring still. I am proud of my teachering this weekend!<br />
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Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-68587080140104910012018-10-24T13:23:00.001-04:002018-10-24T13:23:43.964-04:00GriefSince changing the focus of this blog, it has allowed me to focus on other things in my life that I need to talk about. So here is what happened to me today. You will either understand or you won't, but if you do, then I am sorry because it means you are hurting too. It is almost Halloween, which means like many of you I began watching the new hit Netflix show "Haunting of Hill House".<br />
If you are watching it too you probably are hiding behind your fingers, jumping at every ghost and spooky noise. It's a horror movie... plain and simple.<br />
But not for me.<br />
It is the story of a family of five siblings dealing with the grief of losing their youngest sibling. The initial shock, the funeral, the anger, the pain, of sitting in a room with your 3 siblings in front of the body of your 4th, knowing it's the last time all 5 of you will be together.<br />
I have barely cried in the last 8 months, maybe a few times, here and there, BAD DAYS as I like to call them. "Please leave me alone it's a BAD DAY".<br />
I know that a lot of people talk about triggers, triggering trauma, be careful of trigger words... and I have dealt with it before, when I lost the baby, watching other friends deliver healthy beautiful babies, sobbing at the kitchen table rocking back and forth.<br />
But today, this trigger hit me so hard. Maybe because since March I have locked all my feelings up so tight in a little ball. Deep down inside where I could forget about them and keep being a good teacher, a good mom, a good wife.<br />
But this hit so hard. The imagery was exact. Take away the supernatural elements and you had a funeral home that looked almost exactly like the one we sat in 8 months ago, with 4 siblings trying to say goodbye and not lose it entirely. And I did... lose it entirely. I broke. Sitting there in my bed next to my husband, watching a dumb horror show, I broke. I sobbed and sobbed like I haven't since the funeral. Even after my tears slowed I laid in my bed too broken to get up. Finally I did and I went about slamming pots and pans, hacking up squash with a clever and punching my cupboards. Then I cried more, angry crying. I was so angry. So sad. So tired. It was the worst of the BAD DAYS.<br />
But in the end you pull yourself up, you have kids to feed and things you do, a job and people who count on you. So today will be just one more BAD DAY TO add to the pile. You dust yourself off and move on. Grief is like that.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-73766268927952553772018-09-25T21:08:00.000-04:002018-09-25T21:08:06.025-04:00Noise Cancelling Earphones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkwXF2PCLwWCr8eD65uXnNjY2bxkHg8VAjAVBnYsmPgGNygNUQGydz3Dios2-gsRQ3WtSSVGe7uW1Cp0rM_hXis9i_pmqGhT9BxDyDIhC7FYlpjXMc5N2cuJIZdvNx3o3HlJpyfuFw3s9/s1600/20180925_203403%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkwXF2PCLwWCr8eD65uXnNjY2bxkHg8VAjAVBnYsmPgGNygNUQGydz3Dios2-gsRQ3WtSSVGe7uW1Cp0rM_hXis9i_pmqGhT9BxDyDIhC7FYlpjXMc5N2cuJIZdvNx3o3HlJpyfuFw3s9/s320/20180925_203403%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a>Despite knowing in our heart that something was going on with Bug since he was 2, it took us until after he turned 8 to finally get a diagnosis, and we actually are still trying to get in to see a actual Autism Center. There are very few resources up here. So I am still very new at most of this. Luckily he is so high functioning that with patience and help from his teachers it is getting better. The hardest part has been that each school year it's a 50/50 draw to see if his teacher will help us and work with him, or not. Last year did not go so well. So far though this year seems to be going great. One thing that definitely is helping this year was that I finally did some more research into ways to help the sensory issues with children on the spectrum. I know I myself suffer from sensory issues and I know how hard it must have been for Bug the last 9 years.<br />
Last week was Open House at the school. Bug is in 4th Grade now and Riv is in UPK. We got there early and it was really nice. Not too many people, I got time with both kids teachers, and I got to talk to Bug's teacher about everything. Then Riv pulled us into the Gym to show us the obstacle course. Suddenly we were in a sea of people. Screaming children and loud parents everywhere. The noise was deafening even for me. Bug started to turn white, he was covering his ears, started almost crying, and was rocking back and forth. He grabbed my arm and started begging for me to take us out. Riv was looking up at me with her big green eyes saying "Mommy please come see my obstacle course". I had about 4 seconds to make a decision before I had a meltdown on my hands. So I excused myself from my friend I was talking to, scooped up Riv, apologizing to her, and led Bug out of the noise.<br />
That night I went online and did some research and found that it is common for kids with Autism to wear noise muffling or noise cancelling earmuffs or headphones. So I asked Bug what he thought about it and his exact words were, "Mom that could change my life!" I started crying realizing something so simple could actually have such a huge impact. So I ordered a pair.<br />
Well they came today and he wore them to school. He said he wore them during gym and recess. He loved it. It made his day so much easier. When he came to my work after school he wore them to drown out the sounds of my class while he sat at my desk and did his homework. He seemed so much more calm. Anytime loud noises are getting too much for him, he now has an outlet, a way to escape. Every time I can do even a small thing like this to make his world a little better, it just makes me so happy. Who knew a pair of earphones could do all this!Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-60562480226417802522018-09-25T20:15:00.002-04:002018-09-25T20:15:58.307-04:00New DirectionSo the last few years I have come back to this blog over and over only to very quickly drop it again, simply because my life had gotten to hectic, or I just really didn't have anything to write about because the focus of this blog was so narrow. I have come to realize though lately that there is so much more to my life than just gardening, compost, recycling, etc. I am a homeowner. I am the mom of an Autistic and ADHD son. I am a loss Mom. I am a Rainbow Baby Mom. I am a teacher in my forth year of having my own classroom. I am a cook. I am a crafter. I am political. I am a wife of going on 13 years. I am a friend. I am a coffee addict. I have no fashion sense. I am the mother of 2 school aged kids. So being a Green Mommy is only part of what makes me me. So I think I am going to change the name of the blog but I am not sure to what. Those who know me... ideas?Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-65488682403285638332017-08-03T20:09:00.001-04:002017-08-03T20:09:20.615-04:00Lullabies and LoveSo I wanted to write about something special tonight, lullabyes. I am sure as Mothers and Fathers, you had certain lullabyes that you sing to or sang to your kids from birth. My kids each have two. Each one for special reasons. I wanted to share them and why I chose them. First up is the most special and closest to my heart. This is one I sang to River from the time she was first conceived. It is "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", from Cinderella. I know that it is a Disney song and not at all about miscarriage or infertility but if you really read the lyrics from the perspective of being a loss mom dreaming of her Rainbow Baby, the lyrics will make you cry. <br />
"A dream is a wish your heart makes<br />
When you're fast asleep<br />
In dreams you will loose your heartache<br />
Whatever you wish for, you keep<br />
Have faith in your dreams and someday<br />
Your rainbow will come smiling through<br />
No matter how your heart is grieving<br />
If you keep on believing<br />
The dream that you wish will come true" <br />
My Rainbow came smiling through and that's why that song makes my heart sing. Her second lullaby is less special but is just a beautiful song that I really love that happens to be called The River Lullaby. It's from the movie Prince of Egypt. <br />
"Hush now, my baby; be still love, don't cry<br />
Sleep as you're rocked by the stream<br />
Sleep and remember, my last lullaby<br />
So I'll be with you when you dream<br />
River, oh river, flow gently for me<br />
Such precious cargo you bear<br />
Do you know somewhere he can be free?<br />
River, deliver him there<br />
Safe from all harm<br />
Holding you<br />
I'm smiling, too<br />
Hush now, my baby, be still love, don't cry<br />
Sleep like you're rocked by the stream<br />
Sleep and remember this river lullaby<br />
And I'll be with you when you dream<br />
Here in my arms<br />
Safe from all harm<br />
Holding you<br />
I'm smiling, too"<br />
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Bug's main lullaby was a more traditional lullaby but it was for a sad reason. Both I and my best friend (his godmother) would sing "You Are My Sunshine" to him when he was a baby because he was literally the light of our lives, but also because I suffered from bad Postpartum Anxiety and was convinced he would die of SIDS. When he was 15 months old he was misdiagnosed with Lymphoma after months of trying to figure out what was wrong with him. When he was 6 he was hospitalized with double pneumonia for a week. So this has always been my prayer: please don't take my sunshine away. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine<br />
You make me happy when skies are gray<br />
You'll never know dear, how much I love you<br />
Please don't take my sunshine away" Bug's last lullaby was one I sang to him while he was in the womb and almost every day when he was very little. It has always been one of my favorite songs off my favorite album from my favorite band. "Good Night" by the Beatles. It is in my opinion the ultimate and most haunting lullaby. <br />
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"Now it's time to say good night<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Now the sun turns out his light<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Dream sweet dreams for me (Dream sweet)<br />
Dream sweet dreams for you<br />
Close your eyes and I'll close mine<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Now the moon begins to shine<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Dream sweet dreams for me (Dream sweet)<br />
Dream sweet dreams for you<br />
Close your eyes and I'll close mine<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Now the moon begins to shine<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Dream sweet dreams for me (Dream sweet)<br />
Dream sweet dreams for you<br />
Now it's time to say good night<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Now the sun turns out his light<br />
Good night, sleep tight<br />
Dream sweet dreams for me (Dream sweet)<br />
Dream sweet dreams for you<br />
Good night, good night, everybody<br />
Everybody everywhere<br />
Good night" So I am curious, what songs do you sing to your kids? Why? I really would love to hear from my readers.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-36960409002661288082017-07-30T09:27:00.001-04:002017-07-30T09:29:06.684-04:00Journey to Home OwnershipWell I am sure you have noticed the lack of entries this year. There is a very simple reason for that. On December 26th 2016 we received a phone call from the people who were buying our house from our current landlord, the house we called home for 10 years. They informed us that they were nuying the house, would be renovating it and making it nice again, raising the rent considerably and that it would be better for everyone if we moved out when our lease was up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0do3TkouZuE2DaKRHCOeqKYeQfX8wO8vUN_dgUjAyW2XPIcD0VYP-blE5hyS4tn8iEq-2HXcLo77yErcCbJ-ADpozR8OhkYqF90bU7PH9DSNg5ArZrFzKhSNfaLu3_7jW_9H2bnkCBla/s1600/shocked_face.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="368" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0do3TkouZuE2DaKRHCOeqKYeQfX8wO8vUN_dgUjAyW2XPIcD0VYP-blE5hyS4tn8iEq-2HXcLo77yErcCbJ-ADpozR8OhkYqF90bU7PH9DSNg5ArZrFzKhSNfaLu3_7jW_9H2bnkCBla/s200/shocked_face.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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So needless to say we were a bit worried, shocked, and confused. Our lease as it were was up May 1st 2017. As of that day we would have lived there for 10 full years. We had already for 2 years prior been working with the USDA to get a mortgage approval so we knew renting a new house was not an option, we were going to have to buy and soon. So we immediately the next day began searching for a house and contacted USDA to explain the situation. We had 5 months to buy a house.</div>
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After a lot of back and forth and a LOT of paperwork, finally on March 29th (exactly 4 months ago yesterday) we were approved for a home loan through USDA, which meant no down payment and low interest, but a lot more hoops to jump through. We immediately went to put in an offer on the one house we had loved, only to find out it had just closed and we had to start from scratch. </div>
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So we got ourselves a realtor, and started looking at houses. I mean really looking... at a lot of houses. We live in the country so there aren't even that many houses to look at, but I think we looked at all of them. After about 2 weeks of looking at houses, we finally decided to check out one last one. It was not the town I wanted to live in, or anywhere near where I thought we should live, but we went.</div>
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That was April 9th.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfZFGQFEDhfr9OHOzMWpzwvEOqA453YBrgsyLJgzNhkBPDqamnLIMRVJ6nppZICYV-F2xrbAJKG41vMe90SpC3xciAbZ_2n2mYau64700C0vyC6jmqpgXR7xTlmiOuBni8Rbe2xxjuSee/s1600/picture-uh%253D4458d5db995f6787d3ce82fc9fc65a2-ps%253D2dfac846d6d7c5ea1d3b77d3b124aca6-44-W-High-St-Norfolk-NY-13667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1120" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfZFGQFEDhfr9OHOzMWpzwvEOqA453YBrgsyLJgzNhkBPDqamnLIMRVJ6nppZICYV-F2xrbAJKG41vMe90SpC3xciAbZ_2n2mYau64700C0vyC6jmqpgXR7xTlmiOuBni8Rbe2xxjuSee/s320/picture-uh%253D4458d5db995f6787d3ce82fc9fc65a2-ps%253D2dfac846d6d7c5ea1d3b77d3b124aca6-44-W-High-St-Norfolk-NY-13667.jpg" width="320" /></a>This was the house. It was twice as big as any house we had looked at and half the price, half the taxes too, simply because it was in a smaller town. It was gorgeous! It was perfect! It was ours! I knew right then, this was our house. On April 12th we signed our purchase offer on the house and waited. We gave them 5 days to answer us. It only took 2. However those 48 hrs were the longest I had ever felt up to that point. If only I knew then, that we had a long road ahead. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WJDkj798GnyhUwgWkDQgur2TyhXTvMkJkWhH4ExDgO-XBgNq58r1KyJi2L5g3nfM4KF-0LRMqgBBuny1rt19AioDiTt5ExN2op0RSKRr1Bajb_smPyfd21G4RouUsCUUno_8LfCenswk/s1600/19399539_1421860421194388_6081389491900496268_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WJDkj798GnyhUwgWkDQgur2TyhXTvMkJkWhH4ExDgO-XBgNq58r1KyJi2L5g3nfM4KF-0LRMqgBBuny1rt19AioDiTt5ExN2op0RSKRr1Bajb_smPyfd21G4RouUsCUUno_8LfCenswk/s320/19399539_1421860421194388_6081389491900496268_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Our closing date was scheduled for June 12th, with an assurance that we most likely would close by the end of May. It was April 14th... we figured, a month an a half is such a huge long time... we will definitely be closed by then. We began to pack. We packed up just about everything non essential and lived like hermits. We celebrated Easter among boxes. We even did the least Green Mommyish thing you can do, packed our dishes and ate off disposables.</div>
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Very soon after the purchase agreement came back though we hit hurdle after hurdle, the end of April came, quickly too came our lease ending. Luckily our new landlords were very kind and let us stay at the same price, but reminded us we needed to be out soon. We only had until the beginning of July at best, but we were so sure there was no way we would not be closed by June 12th. </div>
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Then before we knew it we were headed to the end of May, no closing in sight, more hurdles, more repairs, more estimates, more everything. We had no idea buying a house was this hard. Owning one, sure, but buying one?</div>
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Then we found out that us even buying the house was based on the appraisal. We had bought the house for a set price yes but now their were 10 k in repairs we had to add into the purchase price and 5k in closing costs. We had to either pray it appraised for 15000 over purchase price, or walk. So here we were, had to be out of our house by July 1st, no closing in sight, and now we might have to walk on our dream house. </div>
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Then it was June... our closing date of June 12th now seemed like a silly day dream. We knew there was no way we would be closed by then. Like a girl who takes 5 years to graduate college and has to watch all her friends walk on time, I felt ashamed and depressed the closer it got to June 12th. </div>
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June 12th came..... still nothing. No appraisal numbers, no closing, nothing. Bug was finishing up 2nd Grade and we were still packing and still living like hobos.</div>
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June 13th, the day after our closing, we finally got good news. Our appraisal numbers came back. The house appraised for 17k over our purchase price. We were saved! We could buy our house! Now we just had to close right? We were given a new closing date our approximately June 30th. One June 25th we called to check in and were told the most devastating news. There was a lien on the house, and unless the people holding the lien could agree with what the owners could offer, the OWNERS WOULD HAVE TO WALK!!! We were in shock. We had to be out of our apartment in a few days and we were probably losing our house, and we had nowhere to go!</div>
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That night my cousin called me to tell me that her mother, my beloved Great Aunt, who had passed a few months ago, her house was sitting vacant and furnished. If we wanted to we could live there until we closed on the house and store our things in the huge garage. I sobbed like a baby and the enormous generosity and kindness of this offer. My kids would have a home until we could figure out the next step. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMgTuyL7NmURDCtHxU0pvpBYpNuWHcr5LjH-vkitrdl8z2x-ryF4mXXTyy5HatX-NB34D6EpHIMYbKEA1IwkuvygTJKP_UFtweogQH-i_XmCY-E3r8Q_LApz4-MIVZMekQ6z8wwQ-xR7C/s1600/19510349_1423366077710489_4818404083241034995_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMgTuyL7NmURDCtHxU0pvpBYpNuWHcr5LjH-vkitrdl8z2x-ryF4mXXTyy5HatX-NB34D6EpHIMYbKEA1IwkuvygTJKP_UFtweogQH-i_XmCY-E3r8Q_LApz4-MIVZMekQ6z8wwQ-xR7C/s320/19510349_1423366077710489_4818404083241034995_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>July 1st we moved. The whole process took 4 full days. We vastly underestimated how much stuff we had after 10 years in one house. My Aunt's house was adorable. Tiny but gorgeous. It was the perfect getaway from it all place. The kids each had their own rooms, and they loved them.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZgYN59ZxdpATUwIHnWV_TP6qAquZALibkc8gEkPE0bhCYk4deam_s9UflOvJRaDLa1qYgO947s5KOlFB8-m5AOQmyHchHd4WquHMalmpWhZgz5RB2aJrBKAo-uutFnY6hWSeSHaM7_CY/s1600/19642588_1430064767040620_5854318975292547930_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZgYN59ZxdpATUwIHnWV_TP6qAquZALibkc8gEkPE0bhCYk4deam_s9UflOvJRaDLa1qYgO947s5KOlFB8-m5AOQmyHchHd4WquHMalmpWhZgz5RB2aJrBKAo-uutFnY6hWSeSHaM7_CY/s320/19642588_1430064767040620_5854318975292547930_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyKTQEIvDv210vsHdPEvlMJ6mpw1KYBzpJERA_3G5WZUu6atUYP0jWhj-o3aoAWYA3NciPAcrpCteYy0h8OtANp7mP6fqz-PJRXx4gtXN-wN1DVuIROLWESXcjHhjQwm_W8maYAVeo0Un/s1600/19642608_1430064733707290_1628154520775766563_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyKTQEIvDv210vsHdPEvlMJ6mpw1KYBzpJERA_3G5WZUu6atUYP0jWhj-o3aoAWYA3NciPAcrpCteYy0h8OtANp7mP6fqz-PJRXx4gtXN-wN1DVuIROLWESXcjHhjQwm_W8maYAVeo0Un/s320/19642608_1430064733707290_1628154520775766563_n.jpg" width="320" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9kBzlX2iPcFpEfUF5F2WQMjwkdpFd2M5lxDeQNrBgXR7IlUOWw7nff4ThnVuz0ByFUeCYz2d4rC1P3Dfy8i4ByXLVBBLfFBe346wnvuXLulaqzzqYD08bggtvxY6nSNSFANcb35r7AP8/s1600/19702384_1433412253372538_626627589553378763_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9kBzlX2iPcFpEfUF5F2WQMjwkdpFd2M5lxDeQNrBgXR7IlUOWw7nff4ThnVuz0ByFUeCYz2d4rC1P3Dfy8i4ByXLVBBLfFBe346wnvuXLulaqzzqYD08bggtvxY6nSNSFANcb35r7AP8/s320/19702384_1433412253372538_626627589553378763_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> We had a perfect view from our gorgeous little table each morning, and the town we were living in is literally the nicest place I have ever lived. I am not joking when I say that people here are the sweetest most amazingly friendly people ever.</div>
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A few days after we moved in, we got a call from our lawyer. The lein had been settled, we were moving forward with the sale and our new closing date was to be scheduled no later than August 14th. So here we are. It's July 30th, 2 full months from our first closing date, and we are still waiting. We did have a final piece of good news though. On July 25th, one month exactly from the day we were told about the lien, Hubby drove by the house and saw that they had put up the SOLD sign.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GIeiM2WASntgP6-4vyH-A3XwC1Q_Ryi7EqH4rN86RR83cQ-Lu2fXqzBafNRF43-1UvsLGS81nrGC9ex5Q4dSTevF7z6UdvLWP8Cc6w9Dg_DNUGjYT-0WBqJS0cohex19SI7qjlDdLr9K/s1600/20374422_1453650571348706_8957329739564089376_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GIeiM2WASntgP6-4vyH-A3XwC1Q_Ryi7EqH4rN86RR83cQ-Lu2fXqzBafNRF43-1UvsLGS81nrGC9ex5Q4dSTevF7z6UdvLWP8Cc6w9Dg_DNUGjYT-0WBqJS0cohex19SI7qjlDdLr9K/s320/20374422_1453650571348706_8957329739564089376_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So there is that at least. Tomorrow is Monday July 31st, and Saturday is August 5th, our 11th Wedding Anniversary. So we are really hoping that at some point between those two dates we finally find out we are officially closing and soon. </div>
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So what did we learn from this process? That it has taken almost 8 months to get here, that home ownership takes forever, that nothing in my life has or ever will be this stressful or crazy, but most of all that it is worth it. At the end of this long long road is our own house. Not just our own house but THAT house. Our dream house. The home we will live in and love for our whole lives, raise our children in and spend 50 years give or take together in. It has definitely been worth it! </div>
Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-25488990186647506352017-02-07T09:58:00.000-05:002017-02-07T09:58:45.627-05:00Our Journey Has Come To An EndWhat journey is that? Well my breastfeeding journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jirKJWSerBFPdvBfUOmQSsJw-En5KUCctWo7uXeV_Smp0b9SkB1xtQiUYzpvsDRVKitrdPm4jD0ghn3stgj7Oyjes-PuRSl49sf8K8o72M0hl1Q3fNj-wsmTbgaXbyADyZ7Ph-TgsJHX/s1600/424319_310962892284152_457731866_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jirKJWSerBFPdvBfUOmQSsJw-En5KUCctWo7uXeV_Smp0b9SkB1xtQiUYzpvsDRVKitrdPm4jD0ghn3stgj7Oyjes-PuRSl49sf8K8o72M0hl1Q3fNj-wsmTbgaXbyADyZ7Ph-TgsJHX/s200/424319_310962892284152_457731866_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bug nursing 2009</td></tr>
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When Bug was born, he and I took to breastfeeding like breathing air. It was so ridiculously natural. We just knew what to do and everything went amazingly. I really can not express just hot beautiful that time was with my son. I do not say this to brag about how "great I am at breastfeeding", but to explain a bit more about the rest of my journey. When Bug weaned at 9 months I felt I was cheated. i was still lactating but he wanted nothing to do with me. He had decided our journey was over. I was depressed, I cried, I felt I failed my son, and at being a breastfeeding Mom. I never felt ready to be done, even thought about trying re latching. Hubby was not on board though because he said "it's one thing to nurse a toddler, it's another to start nursing a toddler after they weaned as a baby." I suppose he was right. Still I knew that was not the end of my journey as a breastfeeding Mom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrPv7eWnagTzKzf-YikIXanuKOaya40Zb9-QSGbN_ZM34hd5XXkGdfLdFWMLWUD2F2AprJFJwNip56ezHFN2x5gSJhGDCLRyaKa2qfEgc4Zb3hfgpepbOoXwkK24BqKe0u8Cluq7Gl8-n/s1600/10933979_850684098312026_2050071642220060197_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrPv7eWnagTzKzf-YikIXanuKOaya40Zb9-QSGbN_ZM34hd5XXkGdfLdFWMLWUD2F2AprJFJwNip56ezHFN2x5gSJhGDCLRyaKa2qfEgc4Zb3hfgpepbOoXwkK24BqKe0u8Cluq7Gl8-n/s200/10933979_850684098312026_2050071642220060197_n.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey nursing 2014</td></tr>
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4 years later Monkey was born. I was so enamored with her. She was perfect, so tiny and pink and grumpy faced. She was my perfect little Monkey. I couldn't wait to feed her, for my milk to come in and for us to start our wonderful amazing journey, like I did with her brother.<br />
Then I fed her for the first time....<br />
Maybe it's just going to take awhile I thought, we will work at this. It can't keep hurting forever...can it? After about 6 months we finally had gotten our breastfeeding to work enough so I wasn't in constant pain. I was so proud we made it to 6 months and so proud that we were finally starting to be a team that worked.<br />
Then she got teeth! She began biting me around 6 months and over time the biting, bad latching (we would latch fine at first but she would start to twist and stick my nipple in her molars), she began pinching my other nipple constantly, scratching and slicing it with her sharp nails.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhO1mbeca9du8VIZpIskSUJAqVKoOTHDORKTRWIxYF5OeGc7TcjoI5ScNYuuRhIw12GKmpUcclRmCaxOK2sXYFYUnwz6EScxGCVaMuqvGkygleA1l5kPaWjHeGD4DjlUcgGGqPuEtHXwW/s1600/15492399_1243792019001230_1871767011850895906_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhO1mbeca9du8VIZpIskSUJAqVKoOTHDORKTRWIxYF5OeGc7TcjoI5ScNYuuRhIw12GKmpUcclRmCaxOK2sXYFYUnwz6EScxGCVaMuqvGkygleA1l5kPaWjHeGD4DjlUcgGGqPuEtHXwW/s320/15492399_1243792019001230_1871767011850895906_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from a <br />Photo Shoot in <br />2015 by <br />HeatherLiefredPhotography</td></tr>
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Still despite that all we made it to 12 months. I was so super proud! I did it. I nursed a baby to 12 months! So I began trying to wean. She refused. I thought, ok well she is so little I will keep going awhile longer, she needs this. That thought kept us going another 6 months. At 18 months I was very much done! I tried everything I could think of to wean her. For me our journey had become a chore. But she did not want to wean and I didn't want to force her. I knew when the time was right we would BOTH know. So her 2nd birthday came and went and we began cutting back. Only nursing at night, or nap time etc. Another 6 months went by. She was 2 and a half and still no end in sight. Her biting, scratching and bad latching were getting so I would cry and push her away when we nursed. I felt like even one more day would be too much. I started to hate breastfeeding. So I took a little time to rethink and had a few talks with River. If she didn't want our time breastfeeding to be completely over then we were setting up some rules. Only at night before bed and no biting or pinching or scratching. Things went ok for a while and for another almost 3 months it was ok. We were enjoying our time together again. For a few months breastfeeding was actually great again. Now I don't want you to think that I nursed a kid to 33 months in constant pain or that at no point was this good for me. There were many many nights where it was amazing and whole periods of time that nursing her was working great and we were a great team. It's just that over the whole 33 months there were a lot of times I wanted to throw in the towel, and finally this week.... I did.<br />
On Saturday night, the 4th after a particularly painful nursing session, I felt like my skin was crawling, I just couldn't take one more minute. I pulled her off and went to bed. She cried and cried but I knew in that moment we were done. The next morning, after having slept on my decision, I knew I had not changed my mind. I knew this was real. We were done.<br />
So I began looking into ways you can celebrate the end of your breastfeeding journey and help your toddler wean. The recurring theme was to write down the Story of your Journey, which is what this is. Another was to get them a gift that symbolizes growing up. I decided to get her a toy that teaches her her colors. It is a toy we got recently in my classroom and the kids all really love it. I thought what better way to symbolize growing up then to get a preschool toy to learn from. We also read a book I found on Amazon, called "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weaned-Kristi-Patrice-Carter-J-D-ebook/dp/B016WP5Q7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486478068&sr=8-1&keywords=im+a+weaned+kid+now">I'm a Weaned Kid Now</a>." It is absolutely meant for exactly our situation, for a almost 3 yr old or older who is weaning. A child younger than that probably would not really relate to the book. Monkey really understood the book, even saying afterwards that "Daddy and Mommy are so proud of me!", which was a recurring theme. The girl in the book is named Chloe and she drinks "milkies". I greatly recommend if you read it to your child you use his or her name and the word you use for nursing. Monkey's is "Baboo". This however made Bug laugh because he ran in to ask "does it really say 'baboo'?'.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXIzFC_8l__DcDRFwi8sQn3XsEkUB9taM2AFYqQmnuIoZmTvaVo__Yjv0wZ91mkm1rhcmrqRHuVMcExmSGh8QS3IxoGFgQ1zT5TbusNy7c3cWl6a_e0rPjoaMOpEHmJFcE9wtQTNUcEVf/s1600/13624775_10154247330970421_84233754_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXIzFC_8l__DcDRFwi8sQn3XsEkUB9taM2AFYqQmnuIoZmTvaVo__Yjv0wZ91mkm1rhcmrqRHuVMcExmSGh8QS3IxoGFgQ1zT5TbusNy7c3cWl6a_e0rPjoaMOpEHmJFcE9wtQTNUcEVf/s320/13624775_10154247330970421_84233754_n.jpg" width="309" /></a>So after 3 full days, she is starting to be ok with our choice. She understands what weaning is and that she is a big girl and we still love her the same. I am so beyond proud of how far we did make it and of her finally being ready to wean. It has been a little sad for me because she is our last child so I will never breastfeed a baby again, but that is life. Eventually you have to stop or you will have a 10 yr old nursing or 20 kids. I made it 33 months with Monkey and 9 with Bug so I spent 42 months breastfeeding out of the last 8 years. 3 and a half years. I think I did well. Life is cycles, life is journeys. My journey as the mother of babies, of nursing, of changing diapers, and midnight feedings etc... is over. Now I am the mother of a very curious, sweet and silly preschooler and a smart, sassy, creative and kind almost Tween. Life moves one, and so do our children. Time can feel cruel but also with each year brings a new adventure, so with that in mind I release this adventure behind me and look forward to the new ones.<br />
<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-33173831993981194722017-01-29T08:37:00.004-05:002017-01-29T08:37:50.090-05:00A New Year A New CauseWell as many of you may have seen, in 2016 I did not write much and what I did write was simply to announce I was coming back to write only to leave again. The why of this was .. life. The election was gong on, which I had thrown myself into fully. I was still in my first year of having my own classroom and then as soon as I had begun to master that I was promoted to a bigger classroom with more students and more responsibilities. I had a 6 year old first grader who was having a very rough time in school and then a 7 year old second grader who was recovering from a very traumatic life experience that we are honestly still dealing with. I had a very crazy 1 1/2 -2 yr old who is a whole bundle of trouble. We had family members who were sick, some we lost... and some we had issues with and drama. Lastly we were trying to buy a house. It turned out to be a much more difficult and lengthy process than we could have ever imagined. We started getting serious about it in September of 2015. It is now January 2017 and we are FINALLY working on our official mortgage paperwork. We have a house we want and are praying it is going to be the one we can get.<br />
So now you know why I was gone... so why am I back??<br />
Well that should be easy. Look around. Everyday scientists are being issued gag orders. Research is being hidden. Environmental groups are losing their funding, being gagged, or being banned from saying anything against our new "President". Climate Change Denial is now the official White House policy and they have begun overturning all the clean air acts. In addition the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines have been pushed through. For more information on that please read this recent article from <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/24/511402501/trump-to-give-green-light-to-keystone-dakota-access-pipelines">NPR.</a> Even the National Parks Service was attacked and have now gone rogue to help fight.<br />
So in other words our new Orange in Charge is the worst thing to happen to this planet and environmentalism since well human first evolved! So in answer to this I am going to do all I can to help. I am not entirely sure what yet but the first step is using this platform to get information out. I will be writing in this blog as well as posting articles to my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thegreenmommy">Green Mommy Facebook</a> page.<br />
I first began this blog as a talking piece for cloth diapers and breastfeeding. Yet over the years it evolved. It has taken many forms. It has focused on teaching and preschool, education matters, doulas, natural birth, child loss, miscarriage and still birth, feminism, circumcision, gardening, green living, organic food, the list goes on. So now this blog is getting political! I will try to keep the focus more on the environmental and science based side of the issues but truly I will most likely be speaking out against anything this regime does that I feel is wrong. So hopefully I can help inspire change!Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-91679119373563840552016-05-08T21:32:00.001-04:002016-05-08T21:33:54.445-04:00My Little Artist (Letting Kids Be Themselves)My son, Bug has never shown much interest in sports, or most group activities. He instead liked to draw, paint, study science and math. I have always just let him find his own path, and trusted that he would follow those activities which made him happy.<br />
Well a few days ago he brought home a letter from his Art Teacher saying his artwork was entered in a small art show. We were invited to attend. I was excited and proud even if it seemed like this was just a cute little grade school art show that probably displayed most if not all the school children's art.<br />
When we arrived at the art show, we were stunned. It was artwork from children between UPK and 8th grade from every school in the County. Each school district was allowed to submit an art piece from at most 16 students across those 9 grades. From Bug's Elementary school there were only 5 students selected from UPK through 2nd grade. Bug was 1 of those 5. I was so taken aback. I had no clue. When we found his artwork I was even more stunned. It was so beautiful. I was amazed that a first grader, MY first grader could make something that nice.<br />
He found his passion, found something he loves! In an area where sports are pushed on pretty much every kid, especially boys, my kid said, "No, I like to paint". He is really good at it too! I am so beyond proud of him!<br />
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-2118100447295499552016-05-08T19:56:00.000-04:002016-05-08T20:00:19.433-04:00Mother's DayWell I may have had the best of intentions but alas, work, sick kids and life got the better of me again and this blog was left to rot again. It wasn't until this morning that I was inspired to really pick up the torch again. A friend started reading my blog and she was inspired by it. Her sharing that with me meant so much.<br />
Today is Mother's Day. I have spent a lot of years celebrating this day a lot of different ways, pregnant, chasing a toddler, grieving, about to give birth, and now with two kids, not babies, not even really a kid and a baby, but really two full on kids (or at least as much as a 2 yr old is a kid), today my heart is very full.<br />
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Yesterday the kids picked dandelions for tea and jelly, while I worked on prepping the garden and planting a little. We danced barefoot in the grass and watched bumblebees fly from flower to flower, their chubby bodies barely able to fly. We watched squirrels and birds chasing through the trees. We mixed the compost in the bin and began prepping it to be taken out for the garden.<br />
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Today the kids each gave me their sweet hand made gifts and we walked down to the theater, enjoying a brisk but sunny walk through town. Who needs to drive when you can walk. We passed a lot of litter a long the way, but I had forgotten a garbage bag. My Bug though spent the walk telling me exactly why litter is so bad and why people need to stop doing it. My heart swelled knowing I am raising him right.<br />
All in all I am proud and joyful watching my kids grow on this Mother Day. They will be part of a new hopefully much more Green generation.<br />
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-33533484393206602202016-02-22T09:42:00.000-05:002016-02-22T09:42:41.465-05:00I Am Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I took some time off from The Green Mommy because in addition to a new full time job as a teacher, I was raising a Kindergartner and a baby. Well the longer I had nothing to write about the harder it was to come back. The last few months I was writing it was few and far between. I last wrote during World Breastfeeding Week in August.<br />
Well now it is almost March, I am still happily working my dream job teaching toddlers in my own classroom. I am coming up one my one year anniversary with this company. Our son is now 6.5 and happily doing well in 1st Grade. We also are quickly approaching our daughter's 2nd birthday. I can not believe that 2 years ago right now we were entering the 3rd trimester and anxiously awaiting her arrival.<br />
However this time of year also brings sad anniversaries too. In 6 days it will be the anniversary of the day we lost our middle child Asya Rose, and in 11 days, on March 4th, it will be her birthday. On March 1st we also celebrate a sad birthday, one that used to bring us joy but this year will bring only pain. Our first baby, our furbaby Odin "Bobo" would have turned 8. Instead in May it will have been 1 year since we lost him.<br />
March also brings with it starting seeds for the garden. Something that the last 2 years has been pushed to the side. Last year I was starting a new job and 2 years ago I was heavily pregnant and giving birth. I would like this year to return to not only focusing much more on the gardens but on this blog, green living, and education my children about those topics.<br />
Which brings me to another point, in 7 days I will have been breastfeeding my daughter for 21 months. I am endlessly proud to have made it this far. That means that total between the two kids I now say I have breastfed for a total of 30 months. That is something to truly be proud of. It has not been easy, lately it has been actually hard, and I sense the end is coming soon, but I will keep going as long as she needs me to. I just hope her need end before I officially can not take it anymore.<br />
Yet sad or happy I do love this time of year. March always brings with a sense that winter is ending, spring will return, green will come back eventually. I love celebrating St. Patrick's Day for that very reason, even though it has little to do with why people celebrate. I love wearing that much green this time of year. Easter is always not far behind and with it come baby animals, eggs, rebirth. The idea that under all this snow lies green grass and flowers. That new life is coming.<br />
So with that in mind I am going to try to rebirth this blog and also the facebook page. I would like to see new readers find us and old readers find us again. Let's let this spring be a fresh start for Green Living.Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-16401238523875183682015-08-01T15:05:00.001-04:002015-08-01T15:05:41.566-04:00Breastfeeding Photo ShootA few weeks ago I finally after months of planning and hoping and dreaming got to do a breastfeeding photoshoot. My friend Heather who is a photographer did one for me. Neither one of us really knew how it would go or what to expect but the pictures turned out gorgeous. Not just a little gorgeous either. She did a really great job. They also came just in time for World Breastfeeding Week!!!<br />
So here are a few of my favorites from the shoot. I think they are beautiful! If you would like to see more of her work or book her you can find her at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Heather.Liebfred.Photography?fref=ts">Heather Liebfred Photography</a>.<br />
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Happy World Breastfeeding Week!!!</div>
<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-60191462063073957212015-08-01T14:36:00.000-04:002015-08-01T14:36:44.812-04:00It's August 1st! World Breastfeeding Week Begins!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CSL0X6cZrdZh4sJ-lnb0gYDdcfIu0uX9OvVQLYCcQbvX7bmeQPB3N8oECi51aeCgFdrOMBW_Dsi56TZPoj2iqF1pZVZ95Nj0MWDC4KVP6jx0vn3ib9HcW-ScNx6tWe-Y9tcCwsEP9oyU/s1600/11754584_665666543567615_4763554139449783352_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CSL0X6cZrdZh4sJ-lnb0gYDdcfIu0uX9OvVQLYCcQbvX7bmeQPB3N8oECi51aeCgFdrOMBW_Dsi56TZPoj2iqF1pZVZ95Nj0MWDC4KVP6jx0vn3ib9HcW-ScNx6tWe-Y9tcCwsEP9oyU/s400/11754584_665666543567615_4763554139449783352_o.jpg" width="400" /></a>Well it's that time of year again!!!! The Summer is drawing to a close.. school shopping is beginning and we are trying to cram the last adventures of summer into our days. Best of all though it is World Breastfeeding Week.<br />
This year me and my kids were proud to attend 2 Big Latch On events as well as a Breastfeeding Awareness Walk. It was so wonderful and empowering! Being there with so many women all together feeding their children in this wonderfully natural way was so amazing. I find though that a picture is worth 1000 words so without further ado here are pictures of our events.<br />
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Here we are the three of us by the fountain in the park... getting ready to Latch On!</div>
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Latch Time!</div>
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Here is Aleks adding to the reasons why we love Breastfeeding!</div>
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A lot of great reasons! </div>
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Bug's was "Breastfeeding helps Babies STOP crying" </div>
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(only a big brother would come up with that one...lol)</div>
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Last but not least here we are on the Awareness Walk.</div>
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I have more pics from the event as well as the one today. I will be posting more as soon as I can. All in all going to these events was a great way to start the week off right! We have made it 14 months... who knows maybe we can make it another 14!</div>
Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-15234648726369162372015-07-13T01:42:00.000-04:002015-07-13T01:42:12.642-04:00A Diaper RevolutionSo this post has been in the works for a while. Unfortunately life has been a bit crazy the last few weeks, between gardening, work, kids, and well Summer Living, I just kept putting it off, but it really is important to me so here it goes!<br />
A friend of mine, the owner of Coopadilly Creations came up with a completely new diaper design that combines the ease of an all in 1 with the washing and drying ease of a pocket diaper. She also was the inventor and creator of the "Knotty Bum" diaper cover, which I got to name! I don't know if these have a name yet but maybe I can offer some suggestions.<br />
So this as yet unnamed diaper is not out for sale yet but will be available most likely in the Fall, at www.facebook.com/coopadilly. It was however available for testing and evaluation, so when she offered me one, I jumped at the chance to try something new.<br />
So without further ado... the hybrid diaper that has stolen my heart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wDKMqnggdvQxyUpuikFPy80trDKaSD3jDYo4cioMC5Jw-DI5Sz9ZoRq3UKGccMytubsrSjcQLDwCOBdu_9rezLrSLj1z75B2utv2EAOwF-1Bsl9iHs7iC7BG5l8f4tzPrRmCXhZSWdjJ/s1600/IMG_20150713_010214_kindlephoto-15922625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wDKMqnggdvQxyUpuikFPy80trDKaSD3jDYo4cioMC5Jw-DI5Sz9ZoRq3UKGccMytubsrSjcQLDwCOBdu_9rezLrSLj1z75B2utv2EAOwF-1Bsl9iHs7iC7BG5l8f4tzPrRmCXhZSWdjJ/s320/IMG_20150713_010214_kindlephoto-15922625.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First of all it has this adorable rainbow chevron print! The bright colors and chevron had me hooked from the beginning. It is PUL so it is waterproof like a pocket diaper. How it works is that it has a liner that actually folds out for faster washing and drying. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-sDY0hyLmaHTuMGt4YSgcZ1hIxTaBQ4qAvhZf00ykhY4r4dXPb3eR-pqkUbzE1iD3yI7HLS_1FxqaL41mvmTaWCRt8VJlFf3QUWSgtzMJgoO6uXhjkrGLjHZGw0jRDU-dPqwtVmAhb5K/s1600/IMG_20150713_010028_kindlephoto-16045028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-sDY0hyLmaHTuMGt4YSgcZ1hIxTaBQ4qAvhZf00ykhY4r4dXPb3eR-pqkUbzE1iD3yI7HLS_1FxqaL41mvmTaWCRt8VJlFf3QUWSgtzMJgoO6uXhjkrGLjHZGw0jRDU-dPqwtVmAhb5K/s320/IMG_20150713_010028_kindlephoto-16045028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It also leaves a large opening on the sides though so if you wanted to add a liner, like a pocket. This would be good for heavy overnight wetters. The opening also allows for quicker and easier washing and drying. </div>
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So when you have your washed and dried diaper you simply fold in the sides like so and put it on your baby.</div>
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So here are my overall thoughts. My toddler wore this a minimum of 5 times before I would write this post. Overall I found this diaper ridiculously easy to use, super easy to wash, quick drying, and very absorbent, with no leaks. If I had any complaints at all it would be that it's velcro and not snaps, but the full strip of velcro on the waist did really help sizing. Honestly Coopadilly Creations is really onto something with this diaper. If I had it to do over, I might buy all this style for my diaper stash. So head over to Coopadilly Creations for this one of a kind revolutionary diaper.</div>
<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-71320846148015002862015-06-13T10:07:00.000-04:002015-06-13T10:07:38.426-04:00Baby Coon DesignsI know I have mentioned my favorite WAHM designer before but I don't think I have ever actually done a post just about her. A local artist, she creates children's clothing and diapers and has made many things for me and my kids. She mostly makes geeky themed clothes and diapers, a lot of her prints are Harry Potter, Firefly, Doctor Who, Star Wars, and other geek themed things.<br />
River has two dresses made by BabyCoon Designs. One is a long sleeved "My Little Dalek" dress that is sooo beautiful. Her other one is a Miyazaki Anime one. They are both just sooo cute! I love them!<br />
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She also has two of her diapers a PUL Doctor Who Pocket dipe and a Halloween print fitted diaper. I love them both. Her diapers never leak and are sooo cute! Well made is an understatement.</div>
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Last but certainly not least she made me some breastpads and two lovie blankie/teethers, one for SB and one for my best friend's baby. Her lovies are made with a wooden ring for teething and are so beautifully made. Can you tell I have a favorite print? Yes Sweet Baby has a lovie to match her Dalek dress and I have matching breastpads. </div>
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You can find Baby Coon Designs at her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/babycoondesigns?ref=shop_sugg">Etsy</a> Store, and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BabyCoonDesigns?fref=ts">FB</a>. You should check her out, she is amazing!</div>
Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2870326920555486515.post-40846736671675921732015-06-13T09:41:00.000-04:002015-06-13T09:41:06.298-04:00First Farmer's Market Trip of the New Year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCHxvK3X1vOq8xTa_UeRnsxBxIYPiv3ZSDQML6KepDGFrYPcimYLh2hGssvp8CwAKqcCX4fkW-xnK7ae5fLDB4bzjkbQi3L-nhUaqFIjJED9t3nVOq69-2a7gLYIJQ7QDxRxOUaEF-sPl/s1600/1544355_917768651603570_8666163951797439670_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSCHxvK3X1vOq8xTa_UeRnsxBxIYPiv3ZSDQML6KepDGFrYPcimYLh2hGssvp8CwAKqcCX4fkW-xnK7ae5fLDB4bzjkbQi3L-nhUaqFIjJED9t3nVOq69-2a7gLYIJQ7QDxRxOUaEF-sPl/s320/1544355_917768651603570_8666163951797439670_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>So last Sat me and my kiddos headed off to the Farmer's Market for the first time of the year. For those of you who do not know we had a rough month last month. We lost our beloved dog of 7 years in a very tragic manner, and then a few weekends later was Sweet Baby's 1st birthday and on the day of her bday party my best friend was giving birth to her baby girl and without going into details I will just say there were pretty scary complications.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYlf1SfxU72pO8eodefrGZIxHxejkfrVf5WvnWC4w5z_MfwavzW4BYAvADEPhaD_fwYflaP26p2ZeFxrYHNUhG-Vs3fAtWbghW9-XNeajynqv-QJ7yXn1sUYi1CxMMm4pv6hGeNnpgw7S/s1600/11108950_917768741603561_2075280618692230373_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYlf1SfxU72pO8eodefrGZIxHxejkfrVf5WvnWC4w5z_MfwavzW4BYAvADEPhaD_fwYflaP26p2ZeFxrYHNUhG-Vs3fAtWbghW9-XNeajynqv-QJ7yXn1sUYi1CxMMm4pv6hGeNnpgw7S/s320/11108950_917768741603561_2075280618692230373_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>So last weekend was the first weekend that we actually could take a few hours and enjoy some of the wonderful Farmer's Market. So we loaded up the little red wagon and headed off. Already this early in the season there were herbs, seedlings, baked goods, spinach, kale, and all sorts of other yummy things. We walked away with honey, baked bread, spinach and kale. It was SB's first time since her birthday and it was so different to take her now instead of as a nb baby.<br />
The kids had such a blast!!!! So today we are going to head back for our second time this year! I can't wait!<br />
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<br />Green Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626550613294355333noreply@blogger.com0