That Mom....

This is my oldest son about 7 years ago. Isn't he a cutie pie? Those big baby blue eyes and platinum blonde hair-- just adorable! You can see how happy he is and how he just had a bath-- know what you can't tell? You can't tell that he was born via C-section or that I had an epidural or that it was days before I could hold him on my own. You also can't tell that he was our only baby exclusively fed formula. NOW can you tell that we loved him less? That I was less of a mom because of these things? No-- of course not. But I can imagine the wheels in that one moms mind turning. Turning on her judgement mode and hear her thinking, "That poor baby-- his mom did everything-- everything-- wrong!" You see that mom had hours of natural labor no pain meds-- not even Tylenol-- began koala care immediately after birth and began nursing her little one right away. She probably had her beautiful baby at a birthing center and was home in hours snuggling her little one. And I applaud her for all that-- she did a fabulous job. Just because its not my birth story doesn't mean I cant celebrate for her. But I am tired of those certain moms judging moms who don't go that route-- who can't go that route. And that mom, she probably would have been me had I not been knocked off my high horse by a high risk pregnancy that left me redefining what a good mom is and does. I had always assumed I'd have a natural birth and breast feed and when I didn't and couldn't, it took me a while to adjust and feel okay about it mostly because no one I knew could relate and so they judged what they didn't know. But I finally did realize something one day at a park watching lots of kids play-- I couldn't tell which child had been born which way or was fed bottle or breast-- there was no way to distinguish without asking. I am so thankful for modern medicine and so thankful that Mr. blue eyes is mine and that he came into this world through a hole cut in mommys tummy and that because we bottle fed, my husband could share in the joy of baby feedings as well. And I am so thankful God used the whole thing to teach me compassion-- because you never know what another mom went through to bring her baby into the world, but trust me, its a labor of love no matter the circumstances!

Summer Decor and Fun!

It may have taken me awhile, but the kids and I finally finished a simple little summer display for the shelf in the family room. I wanted bright and cheerful décor to celebrate the fun season and we actually picked up all the supplies at a.c.moore long before the baby came-- yes, it took me that long to find some time to do it, but the end result was well worth it. It adds a lot of summer cheer to the room. Its hard to believe that as schools across the nation have just finished their year up, we are about to begin ours in a little over 3 weeks! Im excited! The kids are excited-- it's been nice having this time off and adjusting to life with our new little love, but I think we will all be ready when we begin again come July 8th! http://kojo-designs.com/2011/09/49-fabulous-fabric-flower-tutorials/ Want to make some of your own fabric flowers? Don't be scared-- they're really simple and heres a great site with lots of ideas!

Quinoa Vegetarian Chili-- Very Yummy!!

This chili was amazingly good-- seriously, my husband declared it the best chili we've ever eaten AND there was no meat in it! I used to use ground boca in my chili, but then I realized that its all soy and had a lot of icky stuff, I decided to swap in quinoa. Its a new family favorite, super easy to cook, and tends to absorb the taste of the spices its in. It is also a wonderful source of protein. For garnish, some organic cheese and chips on the side (and if your my son, heaps of sour cream) ------------------------------------- You will need: 1 large bell pepper chopped. 1/4 cup of diced onion. 3 tbs of minced garlic. chili seasoning (I had a packet from my sisters shower, but some cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes should get the job done). 2 tbs of olive oil. 1 8 oz can of tomato paste. 1 can of diced tomatos with peppers. 1 can of black beans. 1 can of kidney beans. 1 handful of fresh spinach chopped up. 2 cups of water. PLUS, for the quinoa, one cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water. Saute pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil. Turn heat down and add tomato products, beans drained and rinsed, spinach, water, and spices. 15 minutes before you are about to eat, cook quinoa. Add water and quinoa into pot. Cook covered for about 8-10 minutes and then uncover and stir frequently the last few minutes. When it looks like little tails have come off the quinoa, its done. Add into chili and stir. Then spoon into bowls, garnish with cheese, and eat with some chips on the side! Enjoy!

{Places to Play in PA: Daniel Boone Homestead}

The kids and I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine one afternoon following church service and took a picnic lunch out to the Daniel Boone Homestead. Its a lovely stretch of fields, historical buildings, and a sparkling lake. On this particular visit, we ate our lunch under a nice shady tree and then the kids played some kickball/soccer game while I fed the baby. Then we went for a nice walk down to the dam and lake. After all our walking around (not to mention our legs were a little tired from a hike the previous day), we opted to skip out on most of the historical areas. We did visit the visitors center where there were some neat Daniel Boone facts, but our little band of explorers was pretty tired so we decided to call it an afternoon. Even without the historical tour area, we still spent over two hours there. If you choose to do the historical area there are timed tours as well as a small admission fee (I think maybe 3 dollars a person) to explore that area. There are over 500 acres of land so there is plenty to explore and much land to be hiked which makes it a lovely outing for a family. Check out their website for more information as well as for special events that they have going on throughout the year: http://www.danielboonehomestead.org/. Also, don't forget you can always search this blog for more Places to Play in PA-- happy travels!