Misc Ramblings – Page 71 – a hippie with a minivan

Doula…

I was looking at a few sites the other day and came across a doula site… from there I found a doula about 25 min away from me… I picked up the phone and called her and she is coming over today to talk…

I didn’t think about getting a doula before… I thought of having two very good friends around to do the same things that a doula could do… but I am a bit afraid of not being able to contact them depending on the time and day that I go into labour. Simon is the best support I could ask for, but the kids will be here too and depending on the time of day that things happen he will need to take care of them and me at the same time and there will probably be times when the kids and I both need him 100% at a given time… Also, in labour, I think I would enjoy having someone there that has been through it before and knows what I may need… someone that will think of the little things that others may not, that will know how to massage the right way without me having to explain etc…

I think that a Doula might me the answer for that… someone that will be able to take Simon’s place with with er me or the kids, someone that will mother me in the way that I need, that know the ropes, that believes in the birthing process, andwho will be able to make me french toast after I give birth (something that I loved eating after the boys were born) etc…

I still want to invite those friends also, but I will feel better knowing that someone is on call for me and availible at any time and really not too far away…. of course now it all depends on this meeting today and the costs to us… but I hope that it works out…

wow… he is quite… ummm… scary!

The new Tickle me Elmo

Productive day…

Well…

I finally got some meals done. This morning I started by cutting up onions, garlic, carrots and Celeryâ€¦

Cooked the onions and Garlic with two Family size packs of ground beef.

Filled 5-6 bags with that mix (two big portions aside) and froze it… (the prepared frozen ground beef with onions will be used in recipes that call for browned ground beef like tacos or shepherdâ€™s pie)

Cooked up the carrots and celery in two big pots and added meat to both of them and then canned tomatoes, puree etc and spices and made one big batch of chile and one big batch of Spaghetti sauce.

While that was simmering I made two loaves of Banana Bread and baked them.

While the Banana bread was baking I made two Apple Pies which I put in the Freezer before cooking and then froze one of the Banana breads (Simon wanted to have one left out to eat) but froze a Zucchini bread that I made the other day instead….

Then I baked a big squash that I had on the counter for a few weeks now that I needed to cook upâ€¦. and then bagged and froze that.

Then I cut up a big peice of Pork that I had bought on special and got 4 very large porkchops out of it and then cubed the rest and marinated them for souvlaki brochettes and put them into bags that will make two very generous size suppers for us allâ€¦.

When the Chile had cooled slightly I put it in Ziplock bags and got 3 meals worth out of it and the spaghetti sauce will give me quite a bit more than that but I am just waiting for it to cool nowâ€¦

I am really happy with todayâ€¦ I still have quite a few things that I want to get done but at least I have really gotten my head startâ€¦

I already had a portion or two of spaghetti sauce in the fridge and I had a few meals worth of homemade burritos and enchilada sauceâ€¦ now with the things that I have today I have some things that I can fall on when I donâ€™t feel like cooking, especially after the new babe comesâ€¦ I am going to plan another one of these days again soon and get even more doneâ€¦ I also want to start making meals double the size and freezing halfâ€¦

Cool little guy…

just had to share this pic 😉

Look at him now….

I am a big Raffi fan… as a child I listened to his music and now the boys love him too and recognize his songs and his voice…

I knew that he was for child rights and was an amazing spokeperson for children and now, I respect him even more…

Look at this… A Covenant for Honouring Children

The words of A Covenant for Honouring Children suggest nine guiding principles for living. Taken together, they offer a holistic way of restoring natural and human communities, thus brightening the outlook for the world we share. They form the basis for a multi-faith consensus on societal renewal.

Respectful Love

is key. It speaks to the need to respect children as whole people and to encourage them to know their own voices. Children need the kind of love that sees them as legitimate beings, persons in their own right. Respectful love instills self-worth; itâ€™s the prime nutrient in human development. Children need this not only from parents and caregivers, but from the whole community.

Diversity

is about abundance: of human dreams, intelligences, cultures, and cosmologies; of earthly splendours and ecosystems. Introducing children to biodiversity and human diversity at an early age builds on their innate curiosity. Thereâ€™s a world of natural wonders to discover, and a wealth of cultures, of ways to be human. Comforted by how much we share, weâ€™re able to delight in our differences.

Caring Community

refers to the â€œvillageâ€ it takes to raise a child. The community can positively affect the lives of its children. Child-friendly shopkeepers, family resource centres, green schoolyards, bicycle lanes, and pesticide-free parks are some of the ways a community can support its young.

Conscious Parenting

can be taught from an early age; it begins with empathy for newborns. Elementary and secondary schools could teach nurturant parenting (neither permissive nor oppressive) and provide insight into the child-rearing process. Such knowledge helps to deter teen pregnancies and unwanted children. Emotionally aware parents are much less likely to perpetuate abuse or neglect.

Emotional Intelligence

sums up what early life is about: a time for exploring emotions in a safe setting, learning about feelings and how to express them. Those who feel loved are most able to learn and to show compassion for others. Emotional management builds character and is more important to later success than IQ. Cooperation, play, and creativity all foster the â€œEQâ€ needed for a joyful life.

Nonviolence

is central to emotional maturity, to family relations, to community values, and to the character of societies that aspire to live in peace. It means more than the absence of aggression; it means living with compassion. Regarding children, it means no corporal punishment, no humiliation, no coercion. â€œFirst do no harm,â€ the physiciansâ€™ oath, must now apply to all our relations; it can become a mantra for our times. A culture of peace begins in a nonviolent heart, and a loving home.

Safe Environments

foster a childâ€™s feeling of security and belonging. The very young need protection from the toxic influences that permeate modern life-from domestic neglect and maltreatment, to the corporate manipulations of their minds, to the poisonous chemicals entering their bodies. The first years are when children are most impressionable and vulnerable; they need safeguarding.

Sustainability

refers not merely to conservation of resources, renewable energy development, and anti-pollution laws. To be sustainable, societies need to build social capacity by investing in their young citizens, harnessing the productive power of a contented heart. The loving potential of every young child is a potent source for good in the world.

Ethical Commerce

is fundamental to a child-honouring world. It includes a revolution in the design, manufacture and sale of goods; corporate reform; â€œtriple bottom lineâ€ business; full-cost accounting; tax and subsidy shifts; political and economic cycles that reward long-term thinking. Ethical commerce would enable a restorative economy devoted to the well being of the very young.