tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76710041439287540272024-02-06T21:41:51.038-05:00FC Mom: Leaning a Little CrunchyKristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-6952968049621872042012-08-12T16:38:00.000-04:002012-08-13T06:40:51.677-04:00What's Harder, Being a Pilot or a Parent?<i>I got the chance to have a sit down interview with my brother-in-law, who's been an Air Force pilot for 12 years. The interview took place while 3 kids were sitting on him. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Me: OK, what pilot skills come in handy for parenting?</span><br />
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BIL: You have to have situational awareness in the airplane and with parenting. You have to be organized. Communication within the plane and outside the plane as well. You have to deal with pressure- it's a different kind of pressure. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQa_apzgxuRakiJFCowIsM0r0UOGPrcVBLQo8zBKTfxVluYvdUkOqoBYoKtpuLo4jU_Q9jQV03eV63lYl6_2Mm6KjM0xIo4tB61aH0jowtcUPcPq0t5qm5cfGnvt2O71WL2Ww8p7rsQ2g/s1600/photo+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQa_apzgxuRakiJFCowIsM0r0UOGPrcVBLQo8zBKTfxVluYvdUkOqoBYoKtpuLo4jU_Q9jQV03eV63lYl6_2Mm6KjM0xIo4tB61aH0jowtcUPcPq0t5qm5cfGnvt2O71WL2Ww8p7rsQ2g/s320/photo+copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BIL with 4 of his 5 kids and one of mine</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000;">How is the pressure different? </span><br />
It's a higher stakes pressure. You can't make a mistake in the plane. With kids, it's more constant little things. <br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">What's harder? </span><br />
<br />
What's harder, taking care of children or flying a plane? (pause) Taking care of children is considerably harder. Five children, at least. It's a joke, having two children. That's the easiest thing in the world. (pause) You get a lot more training to fly an airplane. Otherwise it would be much harder. You don't get a lot of training to be a parent. <br />
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<i>Any more questions for my brother-in-law? Let me know and I'll include them in a future interview.</i>Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-15929334081449153952012-07-16T11:45:00.000-04:002012-07-16T12:33:43.434-04:00Motherlode's Questionable Content<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past year, I've been disillusioned with the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> New York Times parenting blog </span><a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Motherlode</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I'm unhappy with the steady stream of guest posters and I don't like </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the tabloid-y
headlines and teasers meant to provoke. For example, today’s sidebar
reads: “Should You
Leave a Loved, But Unprofessional, Daycare?; Why We Should Watch More TV with
Our Children; Parents of Picky Eaters, It’s Not Your Fault; Our Spoiled, Rotten
Children.” I don’t need to feel provoked by every headline, yet I want to read
about parenting news and issues. I've been feeling like Motherlode is just yanking my chain in an effort to get me riled up so they’d get more page
hits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I <i>thought</i> the last straw
for me and Motherlode was a month ago, when lead blogger KJ
Dell’Antonia <a href="https://twitter.com/KJDellAntonia/status/214734148529692673">tweeted</a> about an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/us/now-in-the-delivery-room-forceps-camera-action.html?pagewanted=all">article</a> in the <i>Times</i>, “Professional Photographers
in the Delivery Room (yuck.)” I know not everyone has had the positive birth experiences
that I’ve had, but I started to wonder why I was reading a parenting
blog curated by someone who seemed grossed out by birth. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet I didn’t delete the
blog from my google reader or Twitter feed. Amidst all the chain-yanking,
there were posts on car safety and the Penn State sex abuse scandal, which are
things I want to read about. I didn’t want to miss important news just because the style of the lead blogger (or whoever is writing headlines and making decisions about content) rubbed me the wrong way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, an <a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/breastfeeding-and-sex-is-latching-on-a-turn-off/?partner=rss&emc=rss">essay</a> posted
on Motherlode yesterday <i>truly</i> is the last straw. I was shocked to see the
headline “Breastfeeding and Sex: Is Latching On a Turn Off?” in my twitter
feed. Talk about tabloid-y! The teaser for the post by James Braly said, “Extended
breast-feeding impacts the whole family. And I would argue that the impact on
the father - and his sex life - is not good.” <i>Wow! Who is this guy?
A pediatrician? A psychologist? An average dad?</i> I’d have to read to see. It sounded
bad, but maybe this was just one of those teasers meant to make me read, and
the post itself would not be inflammatory. Well, it was
actually WORSE than I expected. </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James Braly writes:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">I</span><span style="color: #660000;"> know, most
women think their breasts are theirs. I’ve been hearing this since I was a
toddler being cautioned, “Don’t touch!” But most guys just want to touch. Most
girls, thank God, eventually make some guys lucky. One thing leads to another.
And here we are, discussing the consequences of a touch too much: children. So
to everyone chanting “My Body! My Choice!” I say, “Your Body! Our Nookie!” We
are in this together, women and children, men — and breasts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">So any
conclusions about extended breast-feeding must consider the impact on the whole
family. And I would argue, based both on anecdotal evidence and personal
experience, that the impact on the man in the family, eventually, is
negative... </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">He describes
his wife feeding their five year old son, then describes being repulsed by it:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As their
mother’s husband, however, I was dry-heaving — and bile is not an aphrodisiac.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lest you
think sex is a private matter, I would argue that the decline of a couple’s sex
life can have significant social consequences. A man’s loss of appetite for his
companion can undermine his partnership, his family and ultimately the society
of families...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To those of
you who believe breast-feeding a child who can blow out all five of his
birthday candles is a totally natural behavior to be regulated only by the
mother without considering the effects on the father, I would ask, should sex,
a totally natural behavior, be regulated only by the father without considering
the effects on the mother? For what man in a committed relationship has not
considered having sex with someone other than his breast-feeding partner?
Someone he knows or — if he’s a sports star or a politician — a waitress at the
diner or a videographer who tells him he’s hot. Considering such liaisons is
biology for most men. Considering breast-feeding a toddler may be biology for
increasing numbers of women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But a family
man who wants to keep his family knows to say no. The positive effects of a
sexual encounter on an otherwise monogamous man are outweighed by the negative
effects on his companion, and consequently on them. Similarly, the positive
effects of extended breast-feeding should be considered in light of the
negative effects on the marriage. In other words, sex and its consequences are
a family affair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then he offers advice. Oh, brother. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">So to all
nursing moms, except perhaps those who used a lab technician, I say that the
foundation of the parent-child bond is the parent-parent bond. Unlike the baby
chicken or the fertilized egg conundrum, partnership precedes parenthood.
That’s how you got into this position to begin with: by attracting a man who
liked what he saw, and wanted to see more of what even the scientists
researching extended breast-feeding call mammaries, not Mommaries.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I immediately tweeted and
facebooked to friends, who confirmed that it was ok if I used the words
“garbage” or “trash” to describe the essay. I always like to check that
my reactions aren’t overreactions. My sister added, “Seriously, what does
that line about the lab technician mean? If it means women who used sperm
donors, I think it's HIGHLY offensive. And pretty stupid to assume that all
women who use sperm donors aren't in a marriage.” Yes, and it’s one of
the many reasons I question why Motherlode published the piece.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t want to go into
too much detail about why it’s an offensive piece; I can’t spend my time
defending the value of breastfeeding your child until he or she is done needing
to breastfeed. It’s a messed up world when children and mothers get made fun of
for doing what their biology and psychology ask them to do. I think it’s actually
very, very sick. It’s poison that I don’t want to have to come across when
I expect to be reading reputable parenting information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course this man is
allowed his feelings and opinions about breastfeeding.... but I question the
assessment of Dell’Antonia (or whoever made the decision) that it is worth
readers’ time and energy to hear them. Motherlode has now lost me as a
reader because it’s not bringing me high quality content. Not only are
Braly’s comments to and about mothers terribly rude; his essay <i>about
breastfeeding</i> opens with shaky facts <i>about breastfeeding</i>: “<span style="color: #262626;">Extended breastfeeding, the current scientific thinking
goes, offers significant health benefits for the child, and probably for the
mother.” <i>Probably</i> the mother? Um, <i>definitely</i> the mother, in the
form of reduced reproductive cancers, diabetes, and arthritis. See <a href="http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/#mother">this Kellymom article</a> for benefits for mother and child. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My issue is not as much
with Braly as it is with Motherlode publishing his piece. It’s one thing if Braly wants to say he is
repulsed by his wife breastfeeding their child. However, he ends with a message
“to all nursing moms” - <i>that’s me</i>- to turn my “Mommaries” back into “mammaries”
for my man- <i>delivered via Motherlode</i>. That’s what I find
appalling. If I want breastfeeding advice from strangers or morons, I can
find it anywhere; I don’t need it delivered by the parenting blog of the New York Times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally googled the author
of the bizarre essay. It turns out the man is a <i>comedian</i>. Now,
wouldn’t it have been nice for Dell’Antonia to include a little intro that told
us that? So we know ahead of time that he’s someone looking for
attention, rather than a sensible person that Motherlode felt offered
its reader a valuable perspective? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn’t notice a bio of
the author on my first read. I now see a bio on the site, at the end of his tirade,
and I’m wondering if it was added later or if I just missed it because I was so horrified by what I'd just read. His bio reads: <a href="http://www.jamesbraly.com/bio.html"><i><span style="color: #535187;">James
Braly</span></i></a><i><span style="color: #262626;"> is the creator of the
monologue and forthcoming memoir “Life in a Marital Institution” and the first
two-time winner of the Moth GrandSlam storytelling competition.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could have guessed Braly
was a writer, because I don’t know who else would want the publicity from
something that makes them seem like such a selfish person, but knowing he’s a
comedian definitely helps me as a reader understand why Motherlode <i>might</i> think it’s OK to print such a nasty piece. I still don’t
think it’s OK, but I can see why someone who doesn’t feel as passionately about
breastfeeding as I do might think that type of humor is OK. However, I
don’t think it’s humor. It’s exactly how many people feel about women breastfeeding any child older than a baby: disgusted. I find it incredibly strange that the NY Times parenting
blog felt this man deserved a platform for his views. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that Dell’Antonia
does not necessarily share Braly's view. As she <a href="https://twitter.com/KJDellAntonia/status/224504325915951104">tweeted to me</a> after I
started tweeting about boycotting Motherlode blog, “Really? last week: mom
pumping and working the UN conference. (link) this week, diff POV. Room
for discussion, no?” I tweeted back, “The pumping piece at least had some
respectable info, as opposed to a displaced “king of the castle” bashing
#bfing.” What’s there to discuss?
Whether or not extended breastfeeding affects the sex life of a couple?
If that’s the issue, I’m sure she could have presented a better guest poster on
the topic. This guest poster took the discussion to all kinds of extreme and misogynistic places, essentially advising women to reconsider breastfeeding at all or risk
turning off their man. Surely that’s not
the best way for Motherlode to get an intelligent discussion going. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sister pointed out that <a href="https://twitter.com/KJDellAntonia/status/224501918800678912">Dell'Antonia’s original tweet</a> about the article said, “<span style="color: #262626;">If
extended <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23breastfeeding"><span style="color: #262626;">#breastfeeding</span></a> is a turn-off for dad, should
he be able to say so? One dad's funny but honest take: <a href="http://nyti.ms/NurqYl"><span style="color: #262626;">http://nyti.ms/NurqYl</span></a></span>.”
I’m not sure what’s funny- the jab at moms who use sperm donors, the idea
that a man should “say no” to breastfeeding a toddler, the mammaries being
preferable to Mommaries joke? <span style="color: #262626;">Maybe it just comes
down to me and Dell’Antonia just not sharing a sense of humor. Whatever
the case, I’m not going to rely on her to feed me my parenting news. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I unsubscribed from
Motherlode blog on my Twitter feed (I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/thefcmom">@thefcmom</a>). Unfortunately, I had
to unsubscribe from the entire NYTimes Style section on my google reader to
avoid seeing Motherlode’s tabloid-y headlines in my feed. I read the NY
Times on my iPhone every day while nursing my baby to sleep, so I’ll just have to add visiting the Style page
to that routine. I think a few of the Motherlode headlines might be
there, but at least I won’t register any page views. I have read Motherlode for over 3 years and I'm sorry to stop, but I don't want the energy drain of content that is not chosen thoughtfully enough. </span></div>Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-11521296938894542512012-07-13T07:19:00.000-04:002012-07-13T07:25:59.766-04:00Stamford Downtown Horse Tour 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Stamford Horse Tour 2012 Leg Three Crew </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">My friends and I had the most fun yesterday completing leg 3 of a walking tour of all of Stamford's horse statues. Every summer the Stamford Downtown Special Services District does an Art in Public Places show. This year the theme is "</span><a href="http://www.stamford-downtown.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124" style="text-align: left;">Horsin' Around</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">" and the horses are awesome!</span><br />
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I say "leg three" as if there is a planned tour... no, one of my fabulously motivated and organized friends planned a four-leg tour for us so we can see all 40 horses. To make it more interactive for the kids, she also made books so the kids can put a sticker beside every horse they see. <span style="background-color: white;">I missed leg 2 of the tour because I was working, so now I am way behind. Fortunately on our last leg we are going to review a bunch of horses, because my child WILL complete his sticker book. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Horse at the Hilton</td></tr>
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One reason leg 3 was great is that I got to see all the development they're doing in the South End. We started our tour yesterday at Mr. Frosty's. (My friend linked to this great <a href="http://omnomct.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/chill-out-or-chow-down-at-mr-frostys-stamfordharbor-point-ct/">review</a> by OmnomCT, a husband-wife team who I've talked to on Twitter a bunch and they are really helpful and knowledgeable.) We got breakfast sandwiches from the super-accomodating staff, then hiked to the train station to see the furthest-south-placed horse. Then we headed up to UBS and RBS. Of course, one of our strollers almost got sideswiped at the crosswalk by the 95 ramp. What type of person tries to beat a stroller through a crosswalk? I'll tell you, a 55 ish white guy with a beard driving a new sports car. Jerk. Actually, I don't even think he was looking at the crosswalk, he was looking back to see if anyone was coming to his left. I'd like to see some data: IS that the most dangerous crosswalk in Stamford? I'm guessing yes, if you consider how much foot traffic that crosswalk sees. I could be wrong, but please use caution if you're ever walking there. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">exit 7 off ramp</td></tr>
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We ended up at the Hilton to see two more horses, then hiked back in the heat to Mr. Frosty's for water and lunch. We only saw six horses today, as opposed to the 19 we'll see next week, but it was cool to see parts of Stamford on foot (like the exit 7 off ramp) that I'd only previously seen by car. <br />
I'm thankful to my friend AP for organizing this tour, and thankful to SDSSD for doing Art in Public Places every summer. The 2, 3, and 4 year olds loved the horses, and it has been a great motivator for us adults to get off our butts and walk around Stamford. <br />
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Oh cool! I just realized SDSSD has a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.272313736184260.66617.173258076089827&type=3">Horsin' Around facebook page</a> that has pics of all the horses with their names. How convenient, since I either forget to look at the horses' names, or forget the name that I did remember to look at.Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-200836878335943432012-07-08T22:03:00.002-04:002012-07-08T22:04:47.029-04:00Photo I Like: The Obamas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/embedded_img_full/image/image_file/new_family_portrait_12.15.2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/embedded_img_full/image/image_file/new_family_portrait_12.15.2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official Obama Family Portrait 2011</td></tr>
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Sometimes I stare at photos of the Obama family and think, and let myself feel, "My God! We have a black family in the White House!" I think it's because I never believed I'd see it in my lifetime. Being from the South, I was always aware of just how much progress still needed to be made in how whites and blacks live together- because in my time in Virginia, I felt people lived very separately. (I don't think that's limited only to the South- there's also plenty of separation up here in the suburban Northeast.)<br />
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I was very proud when our country elected Obama in 2008. I think he's done a good job in a difficult economy. And having a young family in the White House has been a real joy. It has been a pleasure to watch two caring, attentive parents spend lots of time with their kids while at the same time doing an important job. I have also loved watching Michelle Obama encourage the nation to be healthier, and I love that she has <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021805522.html">talked about the importance of breastfeeding</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.core-online.org/historyphotos/burning_bus.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="124" src="http://www.core-online.org/historyphotos/burning_bus.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freedom Rides 1961</td></tr>
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I know a person's skin color isn't the only lens through which to view him or her, but with our country's ugly history around race, skin color represents where we have been and where we are going. In the case of a great-great-great-granddaughter of slaves being the First Lady, it shows how hard many people have worked to overcome difficulties and discrimination. It was only fifty years ago that the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/">Freedom Riders</a> encountered violence while simply trying to integrate buses across the South. It's been less than 150 years since slavery in this country ended. We've come a long way. <br />
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That's what looking at that photo of the Obamas makes me think of.<br />
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Oh, and if we don't reelect Obama? I'm moving to France. The South of France. I'm going to live in a stone house on a shrubby hillside overlooking the Mediterranean. That'll make me feel better.Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-42492608514728488422012-06-29T06:16:00.000-04:002012-06-29T06:19:40.274-04:00Abbey's Tips: Dog Mauling Strategy<b>Abbey's Tip #1</b>: If you are on a walk with your kids, and are attacked by a dog, throw your kids into a trash can.<br />
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<b>My commentary</b>: Every mother (I think) has a fear of dog attacks. When you are walking with your kid in a stroller, they're right at dog-mouth height. Every so often you hear those dog mauling stories on the news, and why shouldn't there be a crazy dog at the park? Even if you are wearing your kid- <i>wait- no, you ARE safer if you are wearing your kid! Because you'll have time to run to the trash can!</i> <br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The only flaw in Abbey's tip is that you're not guaranteed to be close to a trash can- but if you are babywearing, the dog has to drag YOU down to get to your kid, and of course your supermom strength will prevent or at least delay that. So, a corollary of this safety tip is, "Babywear your baby anywhere you might encounter dogs." Surely that's reasonable? </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">One more corollary to this safety tip is, "The tops of trash cans are removable, so if your kid can't fit through the hole on the top, take the top of the trash can off." A nanny at a park taught me this one. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I said to her, "That ride on toy is broken, so I put it outside the playground fence." She walked over to the toy, picked it up, took off the top of a huge trash can, and put the toy inside. "Oh my god," I said, "I would never have thought of taking the top off of that." </span>Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-63861556318416827962012-06-27T06:47:00.000-04:002012-06-29T06:18:57.024-04:00How Cloth Diapering Made Me a Better Mom<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0px;">Before anyone gets offended, I don't feel like I'm a better mom than anyone else; I just feel like a better mom than I was before. I recently jumped into cloth diapering with my second child, and I've been very pleased at the ripples it has caused in my life. </span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0px;">For me, cloth diapering helped me get off my butt, literally and figuratively.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjYRnq7gqDSmIb8lrs5-RZor96TUpRCZXCeYJZ6sVzigzp9uN-q_y9POdngZABfaop14IjWGu2XYUYwDlqnKkkrspPznGL__OdYvfmIReEdgL33MyzhzMRxPttlz9yvRs_i1p6-_4UZ4/s1600/532693_10150819681814751_674499335_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjYRnq7gqDSmIb8lrs5-RZor96TUpRCZXCeYJZ6sVzigzp9uN-q_y9POdngZABfaop14IjWGu2XYUYwDlqnKkkrspPznGL__OdYvfmIReEdgL33MyzhzMRxPttlz9yvRs_i1p6-_4UZ4/s200/532693_10150819681814751_674499335_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">My stash after my first purchases</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0px;">My gorgeous cloth diapers that I wash every two days (I could get away with three if I bought a few more, but I'm enjoying seeing how few diapers I can get away with) keep me on a schedule. I am a person who needs a schedule, or I get nothing done. </span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0px;">My cloth diapers keep me active. Go downstairs, put diapers in for ten minute cold rinse. Go back down, wash on warm. Go back down, put in dryer for 45 minutes on low. Go back down, take out my (beautiful) PUL covers and put them on rack to dry, dry rest of diapers/inserts for a hour on regular. (Some moms dry all the diapers/inserts, but I'm too paranoid about ruining my <a href="http://www.bumgenius.com/one-size.php">beautiful bumGenius 4.0</a> PUL covers). It's easy to be motivated to do this multistep wash because if I don't, my baby has no cloth diapers to wear, and her mommy doesn't have adorable cloth diapers to revel in all day. I wake up with a purpose: are my cloth diapers clean? </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Diapers loaned by friend</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Cloth diapering also helped me get off my butt, health-wise. I started cloth diapering because I read that <a href="http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Diapers">disposable diapers have dioxin</a>, a cancer-causing chemical in them. This was just after I learned that Tide Free, the detergent I've used for YEARS, <a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/mothers-challenge-trace-ingredient-in-detergent/">had unhealthy levels of dioxin</a>. The amount of dioxin I could be exposing my kids to really freaked me out. I immediately emailed all my cloth diapering friends and asked how to get started with cloth, and I've been on a roll since! I did a <a href="http://jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10/tryclothfor10">3 week trial</a> of 8-9 different diapers from <a href="http://jilliansdrawers.com/">Jillian’s Drawers</a>, and all 3 of my friends loaned me diapers to try; this way, I wouldn't spend money until I knew what worked best for me! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Once I got the girl in cloth, and saw how easy that change was, I started looking at other things that used to seem hard. To be able to deal with my children’s poop so easily- with just a washing machine and later, as poop gets more solid, a diaper sprayer, is very empowering! I figured if I could do cloth diapers, I could do anything! I began learning how to find shampoos and sunscreens that didn't have bad chemicals in them. I started doing <a href="http://www.mikesorganicdelivery.com/">all organic veggies</a> and I'm looking into using <a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/11/15/monday-mission-green-and-natural-household-cleaners-pick-one/">safer cleaners</a> in my home. To make sure I use all the organic fruits and veggies that show up at my house every Wednesday, I've had to cook and meal plan more. I'm hoping this will make my whole family more healthy. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In the center, great colors by bumGenius</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Cloth diapering also got me off my butt environmentally. I'd always had an impression of cloth diapering as being sort of gross and inconvenient. Once I realized how rewarding it felt to wash what I already owned, as opposed to buying new stuff to use once and throw away, I explored other ways I could make less garbage. I started using cloth napkins, because once I was in the routine of washing my cloth, it seemed easy to wash my napkins and placemats. I bought a couple of those (adorable!!!) <a href="http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchskins-sandwich-p-1883.html?slave_id=1887">reusable snack bags</a>. I became even more committed to basics like recycling and using cloth bags and stainless steel water bottles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">I don't think anyone else is a bad mom because they DON'T cloth diaper or eat organic veggies, I just think I personally have become a more motivated, more knowledgeable mom than I myself was <i>before</i>. Learning about how I can life in a more healthy, environmentally friendly way- without too much inconvenience!- has been eye-opening in a good way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">And of course there are about 8,000 more ways I could still become a better mom (being more patient, feeding my son healthier food, coming up with more interesting afternoon activities, doing more art with my son). Parenting is truly a humbling job. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Resources: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://reuseit.com/">Reuseit.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.healthychild.org/">Healthy Child, Healthy World</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/">EWG’s Sunscreens 2012</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.womensvoices.org/">Women's Voices for the Earth</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.choosewiser.com/">Choose Wiser</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.choosewiser.com/home-eco-momics-101/recommended-websites-wallet-cards-and-printables/">Choose Wiser Recommended Websites, Wallet Cards and Printables</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php">Real Diaper Association Diaper Facts</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/11/28/overwhelmed-start-here/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kitchen Stewardship: Overwhelmed? Start Here</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7671004143928754027.post-30692631140451543222012-06-14T16:14:00.000-04:002012-06-14T16:31:12.593-04:00Good Birth Resource: Hypnobirthing of CTOne of my favorite local birth resources is Cynthia Overgard’s <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/">HypnoBirthing of CT</a><a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/"></a>. I took Cynthia’s HypnoBirthing class just over 3 years ago. It’s great prep for childbirth because, in addition to providing thorough information on all your birthing rights and options, it's based on the fact that your brain is your most important birthing organ. The premise of HypnoBirthing is that fear and tension cause the labor pain experienced by so many women. With simple breathing and visualization techniques, women learn to remain relaxed, just as one would in an intense yoga pose, resulting in a quicker and more comfortable birth. (If I hadn't seen my sister have two births like that, I wouldn't have believed it was possible... but it is.) Although the goal is not natural childbirth, approximately 80 percent of Cynthia's clients birthed completely naturally last year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTtLCcvvbMJBmda07CEGx1TZqXvTv5gTdWBgIXCL125HljkOt9kyRqCQeXFx2hhveGW-bYujW6wRlx_Ln_aNMXm3xf-XVx6otnF94vN4GaJfmiDblZFCFWoVxtGJ23SZAZ2Gtdt-p1Q4P/s1600/hpct-header.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711544565853272098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTtLCcvvbMJBmda07CEGx1TZqXvTv5gTdWBgIXCL125HljkOt9kyRqCQeXFx2hhveGW-bYujW6wRlx_Ln_aNMXm3xf-XVx6otnF94vN4GaJfmiDblZFCFWoVxtGJ23SZAZ2Gtdt-p1Q4P/s200/hpct-header.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 141px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 176px;" /></a>Cynthia teaches the 12 hour course out of her spacious <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/class-format-and-schedule/location/">studio</a> in Westport. It’s a comfortable, friendly atmosphere, thanks to Cynthia’s warm nature and obsession with feeding people. (There is a table full of delicious food at every class she teaches.) Before realizing her calling as a birth educator, Cynthia was a corporate executive and finance professor at UConn in Stamford. Her childbirth class reflects both her meticulous attention to detail and her passion for empowering couples to have a satisfying birth experience. The class is organized, engaging, and enjoyable. <br />
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I recently got back in touch with Cynthia while planning the birth of my second baby, and I’m more aware now of what an amazing resource she <span style="font-style: italic;">herself</span> is. From her experience with hundreds of local pregnant couples and new parents, Cynthia knows an enormous amount about birth options and resources in the area. Cynthia counseled me on the various birthing options for birthing my second baby, and to have her calm guidance was, well, pretty priceless. I can say for certain that she helped guide me to have the birth I hoped for.<br />
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To get a sense of HypnoBirthing of CT and its impact on couples, take a look at the <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/birth-stories/">birth stories and photos</a> on her website written by her students – there are more than a hundred, categorized based on where the couples gave birth. What’s also so valuable about those stories is that they prove that a good birth is possible. A great birth is possible. The birth you dream of is possible. The stories on Cynthia’s website helped inspire me to commit to the birth I knew in my heart that I really wanted. If women in Darien and Greenwich and Stamford were having the births they wanted, why shouldn’t I try for that, too? I had my second baby at home, with a homebirth midwife, supported the entire time by a doula (a woman who supports the laboring mother) that Cynthia put me in touch with. My birth would not have been as pleasant without my doula, and that’s one example of how Cynthia’s connections make her such an amazing resource to expecting couples even beyond what her class offers. <span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Cynthia really is all about connecting. She connects parents to the knowledge and the people that can help achieve the type of birth they want. She also connects mothers to mothers. One thing she does for her pregnant clients is host ‘<a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/class-format-and-schedule/refresher-classes/">birth story gatherings</a>’. She invited me to one this fall, and it was so awesome. I met 17 other pregnant women over a lovely lunch Cynthia provided, before we gathered around to hear the birth stories of two women, one who gave birth in a hospital and one who gave birth at home. The birth story gathering gives women positive stories, no matter where they plan to give birth, as well as the chance to network and meet other mothers-to-be. Also, Cynthia invites mothers who refer a friend to a champagne brunch in a private room of an award-winning Westport restaurant, which is another opportunity to meet other new mothers. The friendship of other new moms is such a boost in the early weeks and months of parenthood. <br /><br />All of this support and education add up to couples who have a better chance of having the birth experience they hope for. Last year, HypnoBirthing of CT served just over 100 couples. About 2/3 gave birth in hospitals, about a quarter at a birthing center, and 15% at home. Like I said in the first paragraph, about 80% of Cynthia’s couples birthed completely naturally. Fourteen out of the fifteen homebirth couples had their homebirth, and one was a non-emergency transfer after a VERY long labor, which also resulted in a non-surgical birth. What’s even more impressive are the VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) statistics. In this country, 1 in 3 first time mothers have caesareans; not surprisingly, thirteen of Cynthia’s couples came to prepare for a VBAC. VBACs used to be a big no-no, but evidence now shows that VBACs are significantly safer than repeat cesareans for most women. Listen to this: all 13 of Cynthia’s VBAC clients had natural births. Six were at home, and 2 of those 6 were HBA2C- home births after two caesareans. <br /><br />One reason for those stunning numbers is that Cynthia’s class shows you your <span style="font-style: italic;">ability</span> to birth. (We hear so many negative birth stories that it’s easy to think that a pleasant, humane birth is not possible.) Another reason is that Cynthia’s class makes you realize how important it is to have a <span style="font-style: italic;">caregiver</span> who believes in your ability to give birth. Cynthia will help you figure all that out by guiding you to the resources you need. <br /><br />HypnoBirthing of CT also offers <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/class-format-and-schedule/breastfeeding-workshop/">breastfeeding workshops</a>. Even though I already have a lot of breastfeeding knowledge, I attended a session this fall because (1) anything Cynthia does is gonna be good, and (2) it’s taught by Rhonda Trust, the Policy and Advocacy Chair of the <a href="http://www.breastfeedingct.org/">Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition</a>. I am such a fan of breastfeeding that I wanted to make sure I’d met Rhonda and seen what she has to offer. Rhonda’s workshop was so positive, covering the hows, the whys, and the joys. The joy isn’t always a focus of a breastfeeding class, so I really liked that. Cynthia’s next breastfeeding workshop is on February 25, so please <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/about-your-instructor/contact/">contact her</a> if you are interested. <br /><br />If you are pregnant and looking for an incredibly thorough birth class that will prepare you to have the best birth possible for you, check out <a href="http://hypnobirthingct.com/">HypnoBirthing of CT</a>. I can’t recommend Cynthia Overgard highly enough and I feel so fortunate to have found her.
Note: this post was <a href="http://www.stamfordtalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/good-birth-resource-hypnobirthing-of-ct.html">previously published</a> on my other blog, <a href="http://www.stamfordtalk.blogspot.com/">Stamford Talk</a>. </span>Kristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04149159318608415376noreply@blogger.com0