The Mom's Book of Worries

There have been debates about the evolution of man and life on Earth for as long as there has been language. I'm not choosing to enter a debate on the matter, but I am constantly plagued with the worry over keeping my kid's healthy and safe from early death, so I find myself thinking of chickens an awful lot lately.

From the time my son could keep down solid food it has been a struggle to get him to eat meat. I was constantly monitoring his diet and worried about the amount of protein he was getting. I was practically force feeding him milk to make up the difference.

Then I read up on what a chicken really is now. It's not just McDonalds switching chicken nuggets to actual chicken meat, it goes way beyond that. For years we have been told that chicken is better for you and to eat more. But that isn't a chicken. It's a deformed mutant that could never be reproduced without a lab tech. Yep! All the chicken you get in restaurants and grocery stores is test tube created and kept alive long enough to slaughter with antibiotics and plumped up with hormones.

These hormones are causing girls to go through puberty much too young, children to have exotic diseases that are hard to diagnose and treat. And the antibiotic use is leading to resistent strains of viruses that have the potential to not just keep our kids sick longer, but even kill like the Spanish Flu in worldwide fatalities. This is the makings of horror/thriller stuff!

Many articles warn about keeping chickens or even allowing your child to hold/pet a chicken at carnivals and petting zoos. Some reasoning is:

Roxarsone is used in many different chicken feeds in order to prevent the birds from contracting parasitic diseases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the additive because it is the natural variety of arsenic and thought to be less dangerous. However, roxarsone may be more dangerous than previously thought, judging by the high levels of arsenic poisoning in these two Utah children.

So we poison the chicken to keep it healthy? And then wonder why people get sick that eat it's flesh? And what about the veggies that are grown in the soil that has been fertilized with chicken droppings?!

I've gone from trying to get my son to eat more meat to absolutely discouraging anyone I know to ever eat meat or dairy ever again. That is my informed and medical decision. My kid's health is my utmost concern! But I can't do it without help! I need the factory farming industry and USDA to stop spreading lies, poison, antibiotics and contaminated products. And to get their attention, I need EVERY household to start making better choices and refuse to eat meat until it is safe.

If you can't raise it and kill it correctly, then don't do it at all! And if you can't find someone who does this for you, then don't buy/eat it! Because as long as you continue this lifestyle, you are contributing to the development of super viruses, pandemics, and putting my children and yours at risk. (Not to mention paying out the nose for medical treatments to correct the health problems it is causing for you too!!)

They say most girl's are Daddy's Little Girl. His Princess. And that they have Daddy wrapped around their little princess finger. All those are true of my daughter!

She has the most adorable grin I've ever seen in a two year old. But the most amazing part of it, is how fast it turns on for her Daddy. She already knows the sound of his truck before the rest of us.

She'll come running down the hall from playing trailing her "Dad Dad Dad-di" and grinning and dancing like a clown. Our little funny face is such a Daddy's Girl!

I love seeing them quietly napping on extended car rides or after a big day in town! My daughter loves her thumb best for an instant soother and never seems to be far away from her favorite tag tied blankies.


She loves playing Momma and always keeps her baby along for car rides. I thought about getting the baby doll car seat, but where would we put it? I know it's illegal to carry your baby in your lap, but in this case, it's a must!

My son on the other hand can't go anywhere without Kitty. He has had that cat's tail in his grip or under his nose since he was old enough to sleep in his own room! Car rides are much quieter when Kitty is on board!


We rarely see them both out at the same time, but in those rare moments of nap time bliss, we savor the quiet and dread the awake time that comes once we park!

I love the way kids think! My all time favorite cartoonist couldn't have captured their humor any better.... Calvin and Hobbs is dearly missed by this blogger!

My son is Calvin personified! He even carried around a little green and purple cat like a Multi hued Hobbs!

Whatever your plans tonight, be safe. Plan for next year to be better than any you've had, and be active in completing your goals! No one can do it for you!

I can vaguely remember being in a funeral home as a little girl to see that my Great Grandmother had died and was surrounded by flowers and mourners. I still remember thinking how strange it was and hoping I would never have to do that again. I can sometimes picture her face in life, but I was so young it's hard to say how much I truly remember about her on my own.

She was a strong woman that lived a long life. And yesterday my kids lost their paternal Great Grandmother. At 3 and 1, I doubt they are able to recall any of the events that will follow. I also doubt that they will have any memories of the woman that helped to shape the lives that brought them into this world.

It's always hard to loose a loved one. I try to remember that we don't own them, and need to hold them loosely. Make sure that the ones you love know it!
 
Say it, show it and prove it DAILY.

It's that time of year when the air gets crisp and cold, the leaves turn different shades of brown, and if your lucky orange and red, and the classic cars come out to play! Our family loves going to the car shows when we are able.  This year was the first time our son was as impressed with the cars as he was the inflatables!

I think his favorite was without a doubt the supped up, raised up, pimped out truck and then the fire truck. But what boy doesn't love those? My little girl was more impressed with the shiny trophies. Ahhh, the appeal of glitz and gold. They are definitely loving the start of Fall!

So, get out there and enjoy the views. Stay hydrated and keep those little ears covered on windy days! There is so much to appreciate in old cars. They just don't make 'em like they used to! And so many cool new bling things that can be added to a stock model it's ridiculous!

Have fun and enjoy all the sights this Fall!

But that hasn't curbed their interest in these "cute" turtles. They found one today in our field and had a blast carry him to the porch in the little wagon and letting him/her run around the sand box with them.

My kids Love Ices. This is what they call popsicles! So, I'm always looking for a new take on frozen treats that they can enjoy...so I loved the commercial about Dannonino Yogurt cups!

There is so much fun info on their website, go to http://danonino.us.com for coupons, offers, and activities including this and other fun recipes!

You can get the plastic spoons at WalMart or even the Dollar Store for kids, or just use plastic picknic style spoons. I like using the kind for kids since they are easier to hold in little hands and are much easier to clean and reuse.

You can use this trick for your favorite yogurt as well! I like placing a whips style in the freezer for about 2 hours. Yummy creamy frozen yogurt for Mom time!

Off to get more yogurt!

Last night my husband was planting some hostas for me and we found a baby garden snake. It was tiny, about 6 inches and very active. He showed our son who was completely captivated by it.

We brought it in and put in our former crabitat. (Our hermit crabs had been upgraded to a bigger home and this one still had the heat rock and watering shell) We intended to keep it over night so he could show his cousin the following day.

About halfway to bedtime we decided it was probably not snake proofed enough for our peace of mind, so we released it outside.

This morning my son imediately went to the tank looking for the snake. I told him what happened and he says,

Oh the snake got out Mommy? That's not good.

I could have died laughing at his serious tone and expression! His phrases are always surprising me, but the inflection he chooses is what strikes me the funniest. My little serious man!

we took the opportunity to teach him about snakes being dangerous and should be left on their own. Now we wonder where Momma Snake is hiding.

My son swallowed a penny the other day. Being a nurse I didn't think too much of it really. Being a Mom I felt he got past my defensive screening and found an object that he could have chocked on! Terrible! But I knew that this is a normal part of childhood and made sure it did indeed go down. (He could swallow and keep down water)

We kept a close eye on him and he did great the rest of the night. However, the next morning he couldn't keep anything (even water) down. After cleaning the puddles, we headed for the hospital for an Xray. His doctor ordered just in case.

Turns out he had a flu bug, and the penny was waiting for his exit orders in the large bowel. Sometimes strange coincidences occur simultaneously!

Here is the basics in coin swallowing:

• Make sure offending object is in the stomach by giving them water then food.
• Watch for signs of airway obstruction like drooling or turning blue
• Contact your pediatrician with any concerns or for questions
• If all is clear, wait a few days (2-4) for penny to pass (they don't even feel it)
• Don't beat yourself up, but make sure all loose change is put away until this stage passes

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My son recently learned how to wink, and his way of tilting his head, screwing up his mouth and closing that one eye is just plain hilarious!