Barefoot

Mud

Mud is very nice to feel
All squishy-squash between the toes!
I'd rather wade in wiggly mud
Than smell a yellow rose.

Nobody else but the rosebush knows
How nice mud feels
Between the toes.
---Polly Chase Boyden

It is NOT the season for playing in the mud but the only way to enjoy mud is barefoot...In my humble opinion

I have always loved being barefoot. My dad picked on me when I always insisted J wear socks and shoes as a baby because I never did. We were in a very different climate Dad!

There are probably hundreds of reasons to be barefoot! This guy Tom A. Kutscher put 125 reasons with references! Check out the link!
Sure shoes protect your feet from from cuts, bruises, extreme temperature, parasites, fungi, and can be fashionable, but there are also problems that they are finding might be due to shoes. There is enough interest in the healthier feet of the barefoot there are more and more "barefoot shoes" coming out. Earlier this year they did a study and determined "Running Barefoot Creates Less Collision Force Than Running in Cushioned Shoes"

 

There is a few myths and laws that are a bit upsetting to me about barefoot.

1. Shoes are a sign of civilization...um does that mean barefooters(people who choose to go barefoot in public) aren't civilized?
2. Being barefoot is a sign of poverty...pretty sure lots of barefoot people have the means to wear shoes if they like.
3. The no shoes no service law is believed to have been started to deny hippies(who were shoeless as a sign of innocence) service, but this started the idea that being barefoot is extremely dirty.
4. Several of the laws that actually DO exist are just for employees

E and I took a barefoot walk on Monday, it was tough work! I made it .6 miles then felt the need to turn around. There is a Hiking group that meets and walks the beach for I think 3 miles. I have never done it with them but met a lady who had and she said some of them go barefoot but they say it is harder. To me walking in sand is like swimming with flippers then taking them off and swimming some more it seems to take forever to get anywhere! I really did enjoy it though and am thinking we will be trying it again next week!
 

Things they say

I am sure all kids go through phases where they can't or won't say things right.

Today's Blog Post is about some of my favorites by my oldest(only because the little one isn't talking yet)

Tao and Cray the Cow and Pig

These we corrected SO many times you have no idea, they are cute but Brother-In-Laws girl friend at the time,now fiancee(I think I got that right, since she is the woman engaged)name is Crey! Didn't want a name and dirty animal confusion. He has a frog that was called Kwain, but all of these are said correctly now.

Probably my favorite is the Key Octopus

We correct it on occasion, but I like it. He came up with it all on his own and I think it shows his creativity, understanding and knowledge. Obviously its keys, he knows that, but he also knows what an octopus is and that it has several legs and understands if you spread the keys out you get something that resembles an octopus.

This is a newer one Blue or Mine

He knows is a DS or he used to call it a Game, but he thinks that we say no to Game too much and I think he thought by changing what he called it might change how often we say 'no, you can't play DS right now'

He calls this one Dad's

We correct this also, he is very quiet or doesn't finish saying what he wants if he thinks the answer is no, drives me nuts but I am pretty sure I probably did that too.

Australia...or any other version

He keeps getting closer and closer to getting his sisters name right! He says it wrong over and over so much he will get Nick and I tripping up on it though.

This picture hangs on our fridge. He LOVES it talks about it and describes it all the time. So glad we bought one, this was the first time we went to the zoo and they made sure to get the littlest on in the photo. He calls it
Dad Went To The Zoo

This has been corrected from Your Dad Went To The Zoo Random I have never been to Disneyland and its only 45mins away, the magnet was a gift

The P word

Procrastination!

Well tomorrow is "little J dog's" 4 birthday is tomorrow. He isn't getting a big party or even a little one just a family day with cake presents and a few special things for him like a trip to a candy store or frozen yogurt maybe the zoo. Why? Because I procrastinated...yup, me, all my fault. When he started school I wanted to give him time to make his friends and get used to the schedule. I let it go too long, this week(week #5 of school) I realized he has a few friends and it is kinda late to throw a party together, pretty sure their parents would like more than a few days warning.
This week I also noticed the coupon for what I had been planning for us with or without friends is now gone! Yay! NOT!

So decided to start getting things together, the house is clean and I can't find the coupon so just move on! Cake! I wanted a special cake, chose a dragon because I know I have done it before not too complicated. I want to make a carrot cake, because I can easily cut sugar back(3/4 the sugar in the cake and 1/2 the sugar in the frosting and it is still yummy) I have done this before, its what we did for his first birthday. I forgot how much help I had with his first birthday. I started grating the carrots as soon as I got home from dropping him off and put the second cake in just before running to pick him up. He is at school for 3 hours!

I did manage to get his gifts wrapped while he was at school this time...but yesterday I took them out and didn't get to it and he was NOT thrilled he couldn't have the toys that were on my bed...OOPS! One of them has been in my closet since midsummer I can't believe I not only let him see it after we decided to save it for his birthday but dug it out and left it on the bed!

Something I didn't procrastinate at...well yes I did E could have had her 6mos appt a few weeks ago but I got J in a day before his birthday and guess what....Doctor said no shots till he is 4 or he will have to have the same ones again in order to get into school! UGH! So I will have to pull Jesse out of class next week to get shots? I am kinda thinking of skipping it, it would be the same as him getting them today.
I also didn't procrastinate too much on the cake, it is done and his birthday is tomorrow...but honestly not sure when I would do it if I hadn't already done it. We have our first AWANA tonight so that leaves his birthday...I would much rather be doing something fun with him instead of baking and arguing with Artist over how to bake and decorate the cake! I did clean up after making the cake...no choice really there either, the ants invaded when it was rainy this week and haven't evacuated yet...a bit of Cali I can't stand...but all in all still is far better than I expected!

Ah, and the kids...they procrastinate too, just now napping and we only have 45min till AWANA...at least its not all my fault the artist is BAD and does all homework last minute!

Another set of twins

I thought about naming my post about Amber and Hazel 'The Twins' but thought people might think I was expecting...
If I ever do have twins I would like 'one of a kind' onzies for them ;-)

The twins I am blogging about today are sweater yams. I think I had a bit of mastitis this past weekend.
Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue(can be caused by a clogged milk duct) that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness of the breast. If you have mastitis, you might also experience fever and chills. Most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis), although in rare circumstances this condition can occur outside of lactation. In most cases, lactation mastitis occurs within the first three months after giving birth (postpartum), but it can happen later during breast-feeding. The condition can leave you feeling exhausted and rundown, making it difficult to care for your baby. Sometimes mastitis leads a mother mistakenly to wean her baby before she intends to. But you can continue breast-feeding while you have mastitis.

I am very relieved and thankful I was able to take care of it myself and it wasn't nearly as bad as photos I saw while looking for a good definition. YIKES/YEOW!  (pretty sure most people have the flu like symptoms after the lumps or inflammation...but you all know I am weird)Saturday I was feeling really lazy and spent that night in the bathroom with my back against the cold wall, or snuggled up with a fuzzy blanket on the couch. Sunday I wasn't feeling that great but thought getting out would help and there was a meeting I needed to attend. That night I woke in severe pain in my armpit. I had a feeling it was milk related so I nursed Estrella on that side, didn't seem to feel any better so I got up and eventually talked myself into feeling the painful pit! I felt three lumps one was the size of an olive and about as hard another was like a large frozen pea and again about as hard there was another about the same size but softer. So now knowing lumps are causing my pain I have a bit of a panic, then decide to visit Dr Google...he was no help lumps in the armpit could be hundreds of things. I decided to continue as if it were a milk issue and go to a doctor if it didn't start getting better by Tuesday. I nursed on the one side and pumped on the other placed hot washcloths up in my armpit gently Monday night I went for a walk with a woman who has had it a few times and she told to massage it..HA Yeah right! I think I had been told that before because I had already planned a hot shower with the massage spray(also thankful I talked Nick into letting me get a fancy shower head while preggers) That helped A TON. Tuesday early AM there was only one lump later there was 2 again but much softer and far less pain. I have continued to focus on nursing on the one side the pain has reduced daily. Today there is no pain and no lumps!!!!!!!<------Just so you know I danced as I did each of those exclamation points!
If your interested in some more bizarre info on boobs check out this link...http://www.geekologie.com/image.php?path=/2010/02/24/chest-yams-large.jpg

Bizarre Item

Our family has an item we use all around the house but not something most people see everyday.
It was invented in the 1700's
Patented in the 1800's
Modernized in the 1850's
Some people collect them (not us we just use them)
Simple enough Jesse knows how to use them
Safe enough to be used in children's projects or games but can also make mini weapons
Art
  Any guesses?

We use them on curtains, as toys, as mini weapons, on bags and...as they are designed for....

hanging clothes! That's right clothes pins I don't know what our family would do without them! When our curtains are pulled back they have a clothes pin holding them. Jesse is always running off with a clothes pin to play with or pin things up or closed or whatever. We only have one chip clip and we use it on the cat food, all other bags of food (human food) are kept closed with a clothes pin. Nick has made a few little weapons with them, the one I remember threw darts. Finally the diapers...and a few other clothing items I choose to hang!

Oops(Excuses)

I didn't mean to abandon my few followers for several weeks. I know excuses are: cheap; for the weak; easy to find but worthless; like butts, everybody has one and most of the time they stink; tools of the incopetent. The first week I missed I have a good one though...I decided last minute to drive up to see my grandma while my mom and my cousins were all there. The drive was beautiful and the kids were so well behaved I couldn't ask for anything more! The second week I don't have any good ones for but will give you my weak on anyway....It was Jesse's first week of school and Friday is the only day I have to pick him up and we are still adjusting..see lame! Anyway to make up for it and to be lazy I will share photos, that you probably already saw anyway.