Mom2Mom Bend, Oregon

The First Day of Preschool!

2008-11-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

The Village Preschool II is up and running!

Yesterday was the first day at the new preschool and it was wonderful. It was so fun to meet new friends and watch them interact with a new environment. The children loved pretending like they were animals while they learned several yoga poses including: Downward Dog, Upward Dog, Cat and Cow, Tree Pose, Triangle Pose, and more. Yoga was followed by art play with glitter and glue, resulting in sparkly names that were hung on the wall. A little running and sand play… I would say that makes almost a perfect day. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

Lovin the Art!!

Really Lovin the Snack!!

The Village Preschool II Is Up and Running!

2008-11-12T20:42:00.001-08:00

Click On Me For a Better Read!

Checking for Dilation and the Scale

2008-11-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

First and foremost….If you haven’t voted…what are you waiting for? Get out there!

Here’s my latest thought: Constantly using the scale to measure weight loss is much like using dilation to measure the progress of your pregnancy. Let’s face it, dilation as a means of measurement is a crock. You can be at 4 centimeters one minute and then shoot up to 7 in a matter of minutes. This is why, with my last pregnancy, I didn’t let the nurses check my cervix until I was sure I was about to push (grunting noises were a dead giveaway). Instead I listened to my body.

I mean, how deflating is it to labor for hours and hours and find out you are only dilated to 3 cm? Not that it actually means anything, but even if we know that, it can break our confidence. Or in many cases, give us false hope. Every pregnant woman I know goes to the doctor and has her cervix checked a month before her due date and 80% of them find out they are dilated to 2 or 3 cm. Of course this convinces them that the baby is coming early! And of course makes those 3 or 4 days past the due date extra painful!

The scale is very similar. I don’t know how many times I have woken up looking and feeling thinner only to be disappointed when I step on the scale. Even if my pants are looser, or my husband oohs and ahs. I find my motivation slipping away and that grilled cheese sandwich starts sounding mighty enticing.

So I have decided to try something new. Instead of stepping on the scale every day, I am only getting on once or twice a week. The last time I weighed in (last Friday) I was down 5.5 lbs. Wednesday or Thursday I will hit the scales again. FYI, I have been feeling great and it shows as well. I just don’t want my confidence to slip.

One final note: I am in the bad breath fat loss stage. I had forgotten how bad fat burn can make your breath smell. Yikes. My poor husband, he is so excited about how I look but when he comes in for the kiss he can hardly hide the flinch…Lot’s of Listerine helps. Oh well, it will be well worth it in the end. My breath also works nicely as a tool to get him to scoot over and give me more room on the bed..or couch..

Banana Pudding

2008-11-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

So basically I don’t like anything banana. That’s why I have been avoiding the banana pudding medifast snack/meal. I save my pudding for my last meal of the day. A tasty last note to end my day on. I have been enjoying the chocolate pudding (while my girls and husband snork down the Halloween candy) except for one night when I added too much water. FYI: soupy pudding is disgusting.

So last night I eagerly tore open my evening pudding packet and to my dismay realized I had grabbed the banana pudding. Well, I’d much rather gag the banana pudding down than waste a meal…I have become a penny pincher in these tight times. Man! Was I impressed? That was the best banana pudding I ever tasted. In fact I have noticed that all of the medifast meals are tasting increasingly better.

A friend of mine was teasing me and saying that starving will make even the crappiest food taste good but the truth is, yesterday and today I have barely felt hungry at all. In fact I have to really keep track of the time to make sure I get my meals in. The only time I have found myself craving my old comfort foods is right before lunch, especially if I wait the full three hours to eat. Other than that, I’m pretty satiated.

Ok, so here is the one drawback I have found to the diet; at least once a day I seem to get a little…well… flatulent. Fortunately my husband is always down for a good fart joke and I am also typically by myself in the office editing or writing. And the girls, well “tooting” is also always good for a laugh at their age as well, unfortunately tooting always leads to potty talk…grrr.

So anyways, I am eagerly waiting for pudding hour to roll around. I plan on breaking the banana pudding open early so I can mix it and chill it before oh so slowly enjoying every last spoonful…and licking the bowl clean. I’m a changed woman.

Mmmmm banana!

Trick and No Treat

2008-11-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a blast! The kids had a great time as we met up with a group of cool families and did the rounds. I was pretty stressed about sticking to my diet as there were a couple of parties and I really was mourning having to miss out on the hot toddies. As it turned out, we were too tired to hit the parties after winding our way through the neighborhood so we all just hung out at the house to visit and and let the children play. It was great! I am not a fan of beer so it wasn’t hard to go without a drink. The pizza that one of our friends brought did look good but I held strong!

Woke up today feeling slimmer and for the first time I have experienced the bursts of energy promised by the program. In fact I have been a little hyper at times. Day 7 is looking good. So far I give Take Shape for Life 2 thumbs up!

By the way, I have signed up for a yoga retreat next Friday night. I think yoga and this diet will go hand and hand beautifully. If you are interested in starting up yoga, I have the perfect teacher for you. Nadine Sims is the owner of Yoga of Bend. Check out her website at www.yogaofbend.com. Her style of teaching can benefit almost any level of practitioner with most any condition. Her experience and knowledge is vast and worth way more than what you pay for. If you would like a firsthand testimonial drop me a line. I’d be happy to share my personal experience with you.

On to day seven.

Fed Up!

2008-10-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

That's it! I'm fed up with the fat!

It's true, I'm officially chubby. Between working on two businesses and having a family, I have found myself unfortunately frumpy. Last Saturday I could take no more so I decided to try Take Shape For Life with Jenny Berg as my coach. Lucky for me, merely a week earlier, Jenny and her husband Steve decided to take an ad out in True North and thus I was introduced to the program.

Jenny is so positive and genuine that my interest was snagged right away. As someone who has had to learn a bit about sales, it takes more than ever these days to be convinced that a product or service is worth investing in. But talking to Jenny gave me just a little hope that the extra 30 pounds, that I have slowly gained ever since I had my first daughter, could potentially be shed in a doable amount of time.

It's not that I haven't already tried. I have. And I have lost weight. But it always comes back on when I miss an hour long workout and then fall into a bitter state of hopelessness because I realize I can't keep up the pace. Anyways, I'm sure you've heard this sad old story over and over so I will spare you the details. Let's just say that Take Shape for Life looked like a great option when I heard that all of the meals are provided (except 1) and that it didn't require hours in the gym. Even better, the weight comes off relatively fast.

So here is the low-down on Take Shape for Life. When you sign up you receive 5 weeks’ worth of food (approx $280). The food includes 5 medifast meals per day. You have to addone lean and green meal of your own (the rules for this meal are clearly outlined). You eat/drink every 2 to 3 hours and if you follow the rules you should lose 2 to 6 lbs a week.

This diet essentially depletes your body of simple carbs and forces it into a constant fat burning state. The first 3 to 4 days are supposed to be the hardest causing symptoms such as: fatigue, hunger, flatulence, irritability... I was definitely a bit nasty for those first few. And I have to admit, I had several moments when I wondered if I could handle it. But.....

I have lost 5.5 lbs in 5 days...so needless to say, I am happy.

Yesterday (day 4) I started to feel better and stabilize on the program. Today I am feeling great! My mornings seem to be the toughest times with moments of feeling "low blood sugary" and hungry. But in the afternoon I have found that I actually have a hard time remembering that it's time to eat...which is so very cool.
So now you are probably wondering "How does the food taste?" right? Well, I love the peanut butter bars but you can only have one a day. I also like the eggs...I think they taste pretty much like the real thing. The shakes are ok but a little grainy, and the pudding is pretty good too but it definitely tastes "healthy". So I guess what I'm trying to say is don't expect fine dining.

Look getting chubby took a long time and a lot of poor choices so to think that you can get thin by eating fabulous food every 2 hours is absurd. But so far this is doable.

I am a busy woman so I like "meals" that only require adding water and shaking or adding water and heating...very cool. I like that I know exactly what I need to eat for my lean and green...quick and easy. And I love seeing the difference every day! Every Flipping Day!
So I guess tomorrow will be a new day, and maybe I'll feel different but as for now I am just stoked that I only have to lose 24.5 pounds to be back to my pre-baby/pre-marriage weight! Now I can do that.

The Village Preschool Expands

2008-10-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Village Preschool is opening a second site in mid-November. The program will serve 2-6 year olds an offer the same great program including yoga for children. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about our program or reserving their child(ren) a spot, you can contact us by calling 541.306.3042 or dropping us a line at thevillagepreschool2@gmail.com.

Visit us online at www.thevillagepreschool.org!

Sincerely,

Annette Benedetti
Director
The Village Preschool

Voting for Maren

2008-10-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have been privileged enough to actually meet with one of the candidates running for State Senator 27th District and I have to say “I am impressed”. Maren Lundgren has been out hitting the streets and promoting her campaign over this last summer and fall, and we have crossed path several times. She manned a booth in the sweltering heat at Fiesta Del Sol, and got to know our communities children and their families at The Children’s Festival. Maybe this is one of the many reasons I like her. I believe that it is important to “show up”, support, and take part in your communities important events even if it is tough, tiring, or doesn’t yield the response you had hoped for. It was refreshing to see that someone who is asking for my vote actually “showed up” and ask for it in person..even in the sweltering heat.

And while I am impressed with her hard work and campaign efforts what really won me over is who she is and what she supports. After my talks with her I asked her to sum up the things we talked about. So here’s the run down on Maren and if this isn’t enough to win you over..well I don’t know what is:

Who is Maren?

As a mother and an advocate for children in my job as public defender (Juvenile Justice), I am frustrated when I find myself facing the same problems and fighting the same fight time and time again. What I have come to realize is that our system is broken. Whether we are talking about criminal justice, education, the environment, or public transportation, we have difficult choices to make. We have to change the way we think about the urgent problems we are facing and stop throwing increasingly larger piles of money at the same broken systems. Now is the time to collaborate and form a shared vision of the Oregon we want our children and grandchildren to inherit and set a strategic plan to reach that vision.

Prioritizing Education:

I am committed to increasing access to early childhood education so all our children arrive at school ready to learn. We need to reduce class sizes, and expand teacher mentoring programs, while keeping art, music, and PE in all of our schools so our children get the diverse education they need to excel in a global marketplace.

Lack of financial resources should not be a barrier to a student who wants to learn. We must work to ensure that all Oregonians have access to higher education and vocational programs to build a brighter future for our state.

Achieving Energy Independence:

As Oregonians we have the pioneering spirit to build on our renewable energy infrastructure. By expanding the use of existing wind, solar, wave and geothermal technology we can become the blueprint for the nation in achieving energy independence.

Expanding Public Transportation:

In these difficult economic times, with fuel prices rising and no end in sight, we must increase access to public transportation and ensure working families don’t have to choose between buying fuel and putting food on the table.

Improving Access to Healthcare:

Healthcare is a basic human right, not a privilege. No one should have to choose between paying for medical treatment and paying their bills, or have their conditions worsen because they lack access to affordable treatment. As a mother, I understand the urgency of this issue and I will fight to ensure every Oregonian has access to basic healthcare.

Protecting Our Natural Resources:

As a fourth generation Oregonian, I have long been an advocate of protecting our natural resources. Bio-diversity is essential to our farms, forests and fisheries and must be preserved for the future. I recognize the vital role the environment plays in the long term sustainability of our economy and recreation and will continue to dedicate myself to protecting the things we love about our great state.

This is just a quick synopsis of her passions and goals for Oregon and its residents, and clearly her stance speaks to me personally as a mother and early education provider. If you would like to find out more about Maren before filling out your ballot and sending it in, check out http://www.lundgrenforsenate.org/. I believe you will be inspired.

Now for my most important message… Vote! If you are like me, you have received your ballot and are ready to go.. So what are you waiting for? I am doing it. Right now..see?

Miss Carry

2008-10-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

What the hell is that supposed to mean anyways?

Mis Carry…mis carriage.

The words..the word made no sense to me. It wasn’t like I was carrying anything wrong, holding it upside down or backwards. It wasn’t like there were instructions I didn’t follow. In fact, I had been far more careful and deliberate about everything that went into my body during this pregnancy than I had during my past pregnancies with my daughters. This time I wanted to do everything perfectly as it would probably be the last time I would have the chance to. I went for a walk every day, I ate organic, no sugar, no caffeine, yoga almost every day.

I followed the flipping instructions!

I conceived on March 1st (I am fairly sure). 10 weeks later, while napping with my youngest I started to miscarry. I knew what it was the second I felt the twinge. All along I had felt like something was not quite right. I had told everyone, including my midwife, over and over. Everyone dismissed my concerns as paranoia.

During yoga I would chant “stay with me, please stay with me” in my mind. My own little mantra. But it did no good.

I wasn’t prepared. It happened on a Saturday, so I called the on-call doc and told him what was going on. He told me I could either go to the hospital or wait until Monday. It was up to me.

It was up to me….What the???

I went to the hospital.

After hours of waiting the doc came in and attempted to do a pelvic. He couldn’t find my cervix. The blood made everything difficult. Well, he didn’t tell me that but women know when the clamp is clamped.. and well, let’s just say “he failed to clamp.” Instead of telling me that he was unable to do what he had to do, he told me that my cervix was closed and all was probably ok. This was followed by a gush of blood that he tried to brush off as “nothing to worry about.”

The ultrasound disagreed with the doctor.

I went home with nothing and was told I could call my doctor on Monday and “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

No instructions, no insight into what was to come. I figured it would be like a heavy period that would last a couple of days.

Sunday I bled but felt ok until it was time for bed. That’s when it got rough. It reminded me of contractions. I cried, took lots of Ibuprophen, and eventually fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning I had officially “miscarried”. I guess that is what you would call it. No one had told me what it would be like. If I had known, I would have not gone to the bathroom.

I would have had something to bury, or burn. Something to say goodbye to. I needed to say goodbye to that little piece of me that I would never know.

We don’t talk about these things.

I don’t talk about it anymore. Now that the anguish is subsiding and the blame game has failed. I don’t talk about it anymore.

I don’t want have a baby and I don’t talk about it anymore.

Celebrate Peace Day on September 21st!

2008-09-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

No Laughing Matter

2008-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have worked in community and social services for most of my life... Is the work I have done a joke? Is it worth nothing? Does it not speak to my character, passions, and drive?

This goes out to all of the community and social workers out there who work for next to nothing to make a difference. Your work is no laughing matter and you are deeply appreciated.

The Girl Effect

2008-08-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

For my daughters,students, their daughters,and their daughters...

Back at home...well sorta

2008-07-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Mom is out of the hospital and back at my sister's house. She is doing surprisingly well! It has been a wonderful learning experience for both me and my oldest daughter. Approaching the subject of sickness and death is sort of uncomfortable for me. When I was young, those subjects were kept hush, hush. And while I understand why,I think that the silence bred more fear than openness would have. This experience with my mother has allowed me to start talking to Phoenix about these types of events in life and I have been amazed at her response. She is very curious and compassionate. I learn a whole lot just from watching her deal with this new information and experience.

Here are some great photos of all of us with our buzzed heads and mom fresh out of the hospital and doing well.

Reagen, Mom, and Phoenix.

Phoenix and me!

Redefining Beauty

2008-07-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

So we just got back to Seattle from our annual Floating Woman gathering. We raised several hundred dollars which will go to help support our friend Cat as she faces her battle with breast cancer, and what she doesn’t need will go to support breast cancer research.

And while raising funds was very important, what we learned while we were there was inspiring. As I mentioned before the theme for this Floating Woman was “The bald and the beautiful”, as Cat has lost all of her hair and my mother may also be losing hers very soon. My sister, who is really talented at cutting hair decided to raise money by offering hair cuts for a small fee. The hitch was that the only hair styles she offered were the shave and the buzz cut which cost $5. There was also an “opt out” option that cost $20. So if you attended Floating Woman you had to do one or the other.

Cat kicked things off by shaving my younger sister Reagen’s head and as soon as she saw the finished product her eyes lit up and she said “You look so good!” Well Phoenix, my oldest daughter, loved her aunt’s hair so much that she begged to have her hair shaved down too. Before I knew it her hair was in heaps on the ground and to everyone’s amazement she appeared more beautiful than ever. Again, Cat gasped “She’s so beautiful.” At one point her eyes filled with tears as everyone lined up one at a time to relieve themselves of their hair and she said “I am just trying to process what’s happening right now.”

Within a couple of hours most everyone had shed their hair and the camp was filled with laughter. We were all truly amazed at how beautiful everyone looked. It was so interesting to actually see people without all of the hair to hide behind. And it was touching to see Cat slowly realize that yes, everyone, including her, still looked amazing without their hair. I loved that my daughters felt pretty without long locks of hair, I love that I feel beautiful without my ridiculously priced hair cut (that’s another story).

Tomorrow my mother will lose her breast at 4pm. She will still be a beautiful woman without it. Without her hair and without her breast, she will still be beautiful.

Another Benedetti Blog and Floating Woman Returns

2008-06-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

My mom has joined me in the blogging world. She is using her blog both therapeutically and as a way to keep loved ones informed as she begins her battle with cancer. If you would like to check it out or know someone who could benefit from her insights visithttp://www.dancinbenedettis.blogspot.com/.

Also, in case you are interested, the third annual Floating Woman gathering is about to take place. (Get it? Instead of Burning Man.. its Floating Woman...) All of the proceeds from our various events will either go to support our friend Kat as she faces her battle with breast cancer or to a breast cancer nonprofit of her choosing. To find out more about our annual event check out http://www.floatingwoman.com/.

At the end of next week my family will take off to join my parents for the 4th of July and then head up to Seattle to support my mother at her doc appointments, then we head to floating woman to spend time with 100 of our closest friends (and their closest friends, and their closest friends..) We will head back to Seattle on the 15th and my mother will have her mastectomy on the 16th. July is bound to be a roller coaster, but with the support of our good friends I know we can turn this experience into something positive.

Thankful

2008-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am thankful.

I am thankful for my mother who supports my dreams and encourages me to keep working on them even when I am tired and want to give up.

I am thankful for my partner, Sethi Jacobson, who works hard right beside me and reminds me why I am doing what I am.

I am thankful for my best friend, Amie Fisher, who loves me even after finding out about and having to deal with all my quirks and baggage.

I am thankful for my father, who has always protected me and makes sure I have what I need, even when it means sacrificing or putting himself in harm's way.

I am thankful for my "little" sister Reagen, who makes sure I remember how to laugh, have fun, and dork out, no matter how hard things get.

I am thankful for my older sister Winda who, without knowing it, has taught me how to work for what I really want.

I am thankful for my yoga teacher, Nadine Sims, who has taught me how to find peace and follow a path that will never lead me astray.

I am thankful for Phoenix, my oldest daughter, who saved my life.

I am thankful for Rain, my youngest daughter, whose embrace holds me together.

I am thankful for Eli, my soul sister, who reminds me to be true to myself (never ashamed).

I am thankful for The Village Preschool families, and for everyone who supports True North including the readership (and their amazingly sweet and sincere comments),the advertisers (who are all amazing people working from their hearts and souls to serve the community), Jane Johnson (my incredible director of art/graphic designer), and Erin, Stacey, and Mindi(sales reps). I can't even express how touched I am by the support all of these people provide. It is truly mind blowing.

And I am oh, so thankful for my husband,James, who has taught me what being in love is all about.

Things are hard right now. There is no getting around it. Things are hard and frightening. But in those quiet moments, that scare me the most, remembering all that I have to be thankful for sooths me. Much like I sooth my children when they wake from a midnight's bad dream.

Silence

2008-06-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Not 20 minutes ago I found out that my mother has breast cancer...

I don't know what to say.

It's so quiet here.

Do You Game!

2008-05-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Alright, I have to admit, I rarely play video games. Not so much because I don't want to, more because if I start, I won't stop and then who will feed and take care of the children.

I did, however, buy my husband a Wii for Christmas. It is, of course, carefully hidden from the children and is only taken out after the sun has gone down and they are sleeping peacefully in their beds. Once that has been accomplished then the fun begins. Nightly, I find my husband killing zombies, bowling, boxing, or playing tennis.

Before we bought the Wii we were completely out of the gaming loop. For us gaming meant "Ring Around the Rosies" and "Hide and Seek". Fortunately, when I went to purchase the game system I had the perfect person to turn to for a quick "fill in" on the most popular and best games out there.. my big sis.

She is oh so cool and has a job that millions of zit faced adolescents would kill for, she writes video game reviews for MSNBC. That's right, she spends her days playing video games and then giving the rest of us the low-down so that we don't waste our cash on lame games.

So if you do game, and you want to read some reliable reviews check her column out online.

A little note from my sis:

Those of you interested in independent and casual games might be interested. Check it out at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24862411/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24862861/

From my column and the associated Top 5 list, I highly recommend "Samorost 2" (if you like point-and-click adventure games). I believe "World of Goo" is well worth the $20 bucks (you get the first chapter now and the entire game as soon as it launches) and "Audiosurf" is also worth the $10. I also found "Coil" (free) to be awesomely odd.

___________________

A final note: My sister is a fellow mom of an amazing one year old little boy. Way to make a living from home ehh... Ah livin the life.

Your advice is actually wanted!

2008-05-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I launched True North at the beginning of this year. And what an exciting year this has been. The Central Oregon parenting community has really embraced our new publication and we are so pleased. Now we want to give local parents the opportunity to share their knowledge with eachother. See below!

_____________________________________

We know that some of the best parenting advice comes from parents. That’s right! There’s no one better to turn to in difficult times than those who are on the actual front lines learning how to hold it together during the difficult phases all children (an parents) go through. Here is your opportunity to share some of the solutions you have come up with, with the rest of our community. Read the questions below and if you have some words of wisdom, advice, or personal stories you’d like to share, send them to info@truenorthparnting.com and write “If you ask me…” in the subject line:

How do you ease your children out of summer and back into the school routine? Do you have tips on the first day of preschool? Kindergarten? First grade? How about Jr. High and High school? We’d love to hear what works for your family and keep the kids from groaning as school days grow near.

How do you keep the love alive? Let’s face it, with kids, jobs, chores, and all the daily stresses that go along with raising a family…well it can be a little challenging to keep the flame a burnin’ in a relationship. Do you have favorite places you get out to? What do you do when the funds are tight or you can’t find a sitter? Whatever you do, on the cheap, expensive and chic, we’d like to know!

Please note that while all submitted e-mails may be published in both the True North print and online publications, publication is not guaranteed.

True North Launches!

2008-01-17T21:23:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know, my partner Nicole Oliver and I have been working tirelessly for the last couple of months on launching Central Oregon's first online parenting magazine, True North. Our launch date was the 15th of this month, and believe it or not, it was up by 11:59PM last night!

We are so pleased with the site and eager to share it with everyone we know as well as all of the parents and grandparents residing in Central Oregon. Please note that the local directory and calendar of events are a work in progress. There is so much to post in both of these areas that my partner is compiling information on all of the local businesses and events, double checking the facts, phone numbers, and links and sending them off in large batches. Over the next couple of months you will see both the directory and calendar grow to become Central Oregon's single most in depth resource for local parents.

If you like what you see after checking True North out at http://www.truenort hparenting. com/index. php please pass the link along to anyone you know who might enjoy or benefit from it. Also, we would appreciate any and all feedback on the site and what we can do to enhance and improve the quality of the content and/or the usability of the site.

Finally keep your eye out. True North will be going to print in April of this year. We will be passing along more information about our print issues as the time draws nearer. Take care and enjoy!

Sincerely,

Annette Benedetti
............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ..
True North
Chart your own course.
annette@truenorthpa renting.com
www.truenorthparenting.com
541.728.0332
............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ..

When a little magic goes a long way.

2007-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter is about to lose her first tooth. Everyday she wiggles it with excitement and fantasizes about what the tooth fairy will be bringing her. She, of course, is sure that some magical fairy dust will be left behind for her to use, after all, her little girlfriend at school swears she got some.

So, today my business partner and I stopped by Bambini of Bend while we were out handing out our True North advertising packets. If you haven’t checked this store out yet you absolutely should. It’s filled with unique toys and beautiful clothing items for young children. Anyways, I happened to see a little blue silk tooth fairy pillow while browsing the isles. It is made out of blue silk with pretty little fairy on the front and a small pocket sewn on the back, and it fits right in the palm of my hand. It is also lightly scented with lavender. The moment I saw it I knew my daughter would fall in love with it so I bought it and brought it home.

Right before bed I told my daughter I had a special gift for her but that she couldn’t use it until her tooth came out. Oh how big her eyes got when I took out the pillow. I told her that it was a magic pillow and that the lavender was meant to specifically attract her tooth fairy. I told her how the tooth fairy would be able to track it down once her tooth was placed in the pocket just by the scent. She asked if she could hold it and I let her but I told her it would have to stay in my drawer until her tooth finally came out.

She gave me the biggest hugs and told me how much she loved her pillow as we walked all the way up the stairs and in to my bedroom. As I tucked the pillow into my drawer my daughter turned to me and said “When I grow up and have my own little girl, and when she turns five and starts to lose her tooth, I will give that special pillow to her.” Then she gave me a big hug and told me I was the best mom in the whole world.

I gave my daughter a big hug and took her into the bathroom where she let out a little sob and said “Oh mama, I’m a little sad because I am so happy. I am so happy you gave me that pillow that it makes me a little sad.” Then she gave me another big hug and a smile.

My little girl is losing her very first tooth. One of the ones I eagerly counted as they came in. What’s even more important is that she is learning the depth and breadth of her love and what it means to be thankful.

I’m so happy that it makes me just a little bit sad.

This is what happens when...

2007-12-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

you go hunting for a Christmas tree in the dark.

What I have learned...

Lodgepole pines are good for building furniture,
not making Christmas trees.

By the way....

We were looking for a fir tree...not a lodge pole pine...

A fir tree.

KNOW THE LAW WHEN CHOOSING A CHILDCARE OR PRESCHOOL

2007-12-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

This post was inspired by some recent claims against a local preschool. I hope this post, along with the included link will help parents when looking for care for their children, and when questioning the practices of current child care providers.

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As a provider, I think it’s very important for parents to empower themselves with knowledge and find out exactly what the rules are for certified, registered, and exempt childcare/preschools. Beyond that, parents need to sit down and decide what is really important to them when it comes to finding care for their children.

This can be very difficult in Bend where the resources and available care is limited, however all parents need to realize that there are good options out there and you all are in control of, and should remain in control of how your children are treated and cared for as well as how you are treated by those caring for your children.

Things you need to know

Withholding food and water as a punishment is not allowed. Do I even need to explain why? When children are thirsty they absolutely should not be denied access to water.

For Certified caregivers:
No more than 3 1/2 hours between meals and snacks for children over 12 months! ( Every 2 to 2 ½ hours is much better).

Children less than 12 months of ages must be fed on his/her own feeding schedule!

Children may not be restrained. Unlike babies who need to be in a high chair, toddlers and up are able to sit in a chair at a table (child sized) on their own. While it may be frustrating when they get up and down at inappropriate times, it is completely developmentally inappropriate, arguably abusive, and illegal to restrain a child with ties, straps, buckles, or physical holds in regular childcare setting. Only specialized, therapeutic childcares or residential settings that are licensed and hired specifically trained staff may use these techniques. The bottom line is that this type of restraint can be traumatizing to children and is a fire hazard at the very least.

By law you are always allowed access to your children. No one, and I mean NO ONE can refuse to let you see or have contact with your child/ren at ANY time. Providers may ask you to work around naptime for coming and going to help the little ones sleep better (the quiet time is often needed) but they can’t keep you from picking your child up regardless.

I would also recommend that you drop in unannounced and check in on your child’s preschool/childcare. Take some time and listen to how they talk to and treat the kids:

• Do they use a respectful tone with the children?
• Do they get down on the child’s level to communicate?
• Do the children seem at ease around the teachers or afraid?

Consider it a HUGE red flag if your caregiver has a problem with you doing this.
While on occasion it is normal to pick your child up as or right before they need changing, if your child is ever left unchanged for more than a few minutes after vomiting, or having diarrhea, I would seriously reconsider the provider you have chosen. Children should be taken to the potty and changed at regular intervals throughout the day.

Please note that while these are rules that apply specifically to certified child care facilities – ALL high quality establishments should at the very least, adhere to these basic standards.

If you would like to know more about the rules and regulations for certified and registered family child care homes you can contact the Childcare Division of WorkSource Oregon Employment Department (www.childcareinoregon.org). They will actually send you the booklets of information for free! And if you have concerns or legitimate complaints call the local certifier.

Remember, you are your child’s best advocate. No childcare provider should have the ability to bully or intimidate you.

The Man Cold

2007-12-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine and fellow blogger (Earth Mom)sent me this. Sooooo funny. What woman can't relate?

The Man Cold. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz6DktXFvg4

Odd

2007-12-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

I didn’t have a sweet tooth before I met my husband. I almost never had dessert. Then he came into my life and brought chocolate and ice cream. It became our favorite part of date nights and romantic rendezvous.

I have never been in as good of shape as I was before I met my husband. In fact, I have been consistently 15 lbs heavier.

So every month or two I make him vow not to bring sweets into the house. I work out like crazy and bounce down about 5 to 7 lbs. In general, James has been fairly good about keeping things healthy for my sake. He doesn’t really have to worry about his own physique. Years of hard labor and a love for the outdoors keep him from getting soft. Sooo aggravating.

Anyways, tonight James produced a couple of chocolate covered cherries from seemingly out of nowhere (they are my favorite). Any self restraint I might have otherwise had snapped and I begged him to tell me where the box was.

He wouldn’t of course.

It made me mad… and frustrated. I tried to throw a fit and tell him that he was being insulting. But he wouldn’t budge. I even tried to spy on him to find out where they were hidden. But he caught me every time.

Then just about 10 minutes ago, while he was working out in the shop, I went through the whole kitchen and found his stash. And jeeze oh flip, does he ever have a stash. I’m talking a huge box of chocolate covered cherries and several chocolate bars. They were hidden in a drawer I never look in.

My instant reaction was one of several conflicting feelings at once:

Joy – because I am in the mood to dive into chocolate and I don’t have to run out into the blizzard that is currently raging to get some.

Anger- he is supposed to be supporting me in my fight against the extra fat he brought into my life.

Shame- maybe I shouldn’t let him know I found the stash so that I can sneak some whenever I want.

Concern- how long has this been going on behind my back. After all what kind of a marriage do we have if he has been keeping secrets from me.

Any advice on how to handle this situation? I guess I’ll just have to take some time to think things over while I take a bath and eat some of those delicious chocolate covered cherries.