Excuse my soapbox moment, but I've seen enough comments and posts lately that I feel moved to share my point of view on the subject. I have heard people say that Christmas stuff shouldn't start until December, and that December is the only acceptable time for it. Halloween stuff comes out in August, over 2 months before the holiday itself, and no one seems to bat an eye about the appropriateness of that. There are a lot of people (including myself) who like to buy a bit here and a bit there to spread out the cost rather than buy everything in one big trip. Is that so wrong? Who decides what is appropriate and what isn't? I feel that you start buying for a holiday when it's right for you. If you don't feel quite ready yet, simply don't buy yet. Seems fairly simple to me.
Also, there seems to be some misconception that it is not humanly possible to respect veterans and to listen to Christmas music at the same time, which is completely ridiculous. Remembrance Day is treated sacred in our home, yet the kids and I have been happily getting into the Christmas spirit this month as well as I busted out the Christmas playlist. It makes us happier and reminds us of something we are so grateful to be able to enjoy so freely thanks to those who fought for our freedoms. While I personally don't start decorating before November 12 (which is a tradition I chose for myself), I would find it incredibly rude and judgemental to pick apart someone who chose differently. It's completely unfair to assume that someone doesn't have respect simply because they choose to enjoy the festive Christmas spirit longer than someone else does.
Sorry, but this is a topic I've become passionate about the past few years.
The goings on of our geeky little family and the musings and soapbox moments of the lone female in the group.
Showing posts with label Soapbox Moment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soapbox Moment. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Pink Shirt Day
On Tuesday the boys came home from school saying they needed pink shirts for school the next day. I don't know if they noticed, but I'm the only girl in our family and since I don't wear the colour often, we don't exactly have a lot of pink shirts at our disposal. So John and Caleb left early to Cubs and picked up some hot pink fabric dye. I grabbed an undershirt from each of their dressers and spent a couple of hours dyeing, washing and drying these shirts. I think John didn't understand why I didn't just say "sorry, but I didn't have enough time to get it ready for this year, but maybe next year". The reason is very simple...
I AM ANTI-BULLYING!!!
It's a topic that we're very passionate about in our house. John and I were both bullied throughout school, and I myself was bullied for a few years even after. We know from personal experience the kind of damage that bullying can do to a person. We very clearly point out to our kids when something they have said or done is actually bullying, so that they know not to do it. We have had many talks about what to do if someone is bullying them. Bullying is so unnecessary and so destructive. We, as parents, are trying very hard to do our part to prevent it.
You can learn more about Pink Shirt Day here.
And here are my awesome boys, doing their part to help raise awareness.
I AM ANTI-BULLYING!!!
It's a topic that we're very passionate about in our house. John and I were both bullied throughout school, and I myself was bullied for a few years even after. We know from personal experience the kind of damage that bullying can do to a person. We very clearly point out to our kids when something they have said or done is actually bullying, so that they know not to do it. We have had many talks about what to do if someone is bullying them. Bullying is so unnecessary and so destructive. We, as parents, are trying very hard to do our part to prevent it.
You can learn more about Pink Shirt Day here.
And here are my awesome boys, doing their part to help raise awareness.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Diagnosis!
So after I blogged on Thursday, I had a chance to talk to Caleb's psychologist on the phone. This was probably the best conversation she and I have ever had (I'm normally anything BUT a fan of her). It was a good conversation because I felt like she was actually listening to me for once, but also because she finally told me what diagnosis the psychiatrist has given Caleb. As I've mentioned before, I've spent over a year now knowing that something was wrong and have been working hard trying to get Caleb the help that he needs. I have sacrificed taking care of my own mind this past year in order to take care of him. Finally getting an official diagnosis was a HUGE deal! So here it is:
Caleb has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder with a tendency toward Oppositional Defiant Disorder as well. When his medication was changed a couple of weeks ago, it was changed to a non-stimulant ADHD medication meant for kids. He seems to be doing well with it so far.
Now that we know what we are working with, we are figuring out how to proceed. I am becoming WELL educated in ADHD and working on becoming very educated about ODD as well and sharing what I learn with John. We are happy keeping our current concessions for Caleb in the classroom, but finding a few others we want to add in as well. We still have a long road ahead of us, Caleb especially, but we finally feel like we've at least found the right path, and that is a huge relief.
We understand that we will have lots of people belittle Caleb's diagnosis and try to convince us that ADHD doesn't really exist and/or that we shouldn't be medicating him for it. To them I bluntly say: "You live in the past year of my life in my place and go through everything I went through as we waited for this answer and THEN say that to my face". We feel peace with this answer, and we know that it is Heavenly Father telling us that it's right and we are SO grateful for His help and guidance in all of this.
Caleb has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder with a tendency toward Oppositional Defiant Disorder as well. When his medication was changed a couple of weeks ago, it was changed to a non-stimulant ADHD medication meant for kids. He seems to be doing well with it so far.
Now that we know what we are working with, we are figuring out how to proceed. I am becoming WELL educated in ADHD and working on becoming very educated about ODD as well and sharing what I learn with John. We are happy keeping our current concessions for Caleb in the classroom, but finding a few others we want to add in as well. We still have a long road ahead of us, Caleb especially, but we finally feel like we've at least found the right path, and that is a huge relief.
We understand that we will have lots of people belittle Caleb's diagnosis and try to convince us that ADHD doesn't really exist and/or that we shouldn't be medicating him for it. To them I bluntly say: "You live in the past year of my life in my place and go through everything I went through as we waited for this answer and THEN say that to my face". We feel peace with this answer, and we know that it is Heavenly Father telling us that it's right and we are SO grateful for His help and guidance in all of this.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
'New' Math
I realize that I'm opening myself up to a world of debate here, but I'd like to blog about the 'new' math being taught in schools in Alberta. I didn't hear about it until the last couple of months, to be honest. From the sounds of it, it was the same way for most people. However, did you know that it actually started being implemented in 2008, which was over 5.5 years ago? Why are people just starting to complain about it now? It has been fully implemented since 2012, which was over a full school year ago!
Normally I take a live and let live approach to whatever controversial topic is going on at the time. However, on this one I DO NOT! I am pro 'new' math. Here's why:
I was the kind of student who did very well in school when learning was still very much hands on. As soon as school became about teachers lecturing at the front of the classroom and/or letting textbooks do the teaching for them, I started doing poorly in school. If I didn't show my math work exactly how I was expected to think the process through, I was docked marks. Not because my answer was wrong (which it wasn't), but because my thinking process wasn't considered the acceptable one. I was an exceptional math student when I was allowed to figure things out in my own way, but the more rigid the thought process became, the worse I did. I would have excelled with this so-called 'new' math. And had this kind of teaching been applied in other subjects as well, I would have remained an honors student. However, I was taught fully on the 'traditional' system, where if you couldn't do things in a specific way then you were wrong and left behind in the dust. I firmly believe that schools and educators need to accept the fact that different people learn in different ways and that they need to support more than 1 way of learning so that more students can excel in their own way of coming to the correct answer. This math curriculum actually addresses the fact that there is more than 1 way to get there.
Furthermore, both of my children have been doing the new math program since they started school. To be honest, I didn't even notice that they were, I just remember thinking that I liked how hands-on they were with learning it. I assumed it was just their teachers finding a great way that works. Both of my boys that are in school do extremely well in math. They do these kinds of activities at home as well, and I can see how beneficial it is to them. When they, on occasion, don't get the correct answer the first time they DO self-correct and end up finding the right one in their own way. They are learning math skills that are actually applicable to the real world. Bottom line here is that I learned every single math skill that I still use in real life while I was in elementary school. I grant you that I'm not an engineer or anything like that, but I firmly believe that teaching math that is applicable to the real world is beneficial. If people are THAT adamant that their child memorize the multiplication table, then work on it at home for 15 minutes after homework or something. Be proactive in your child's education. Don't feed me lines about being a working parent. I was raised by a single working mother who still made sure to make time to help her kids with any and all school projects or homework they had. It IS possible to be a working parent and still be active in your child's education.
So there you have it. With all of the crap going around dissing on the 'new' math program, here was my side of the argument. For the record, I have read up on the new curriculum and how the teaching works before I wrote this. But this is Alberta. Even when we hate something, we're still unwilling to change it because it would appear that we hate changing it up even more. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Alberta and it would take a miracle to make me leave. But as a province we tend to be extremely resistant to change...That's just 1 mother's opinion, though.
Normally I take a live and let live approach to whatever controversial topic is going on at the time. However, on this one I DO NOT! I am pro 'new' math. Here's why:
I was the kind of student who did very well in school when learning was still very much hands on. As soon as school became about teachers lecturing at the front of the classroom and/or letting textbooks do the teaching for them, I started doing poorly in school. If I didn't show my math work exactly how I was expected to think the process through, I was docked marks. Not because my answer was wrong (which it wasn't), but because my thinking process wasn't considered the acceptable one. I was an exceptional math student when I was allowed to figure things out in my own way, but the more rigid the thought process became, the worse I did. I would have excelled with this so-called 'new' math. And had this kind of teaching been applied in other subjects as well, I would have remained an honors student. However, I was taught fully on the 'traditional' system, where if you couldn't do things in a specific way then you were wrong and left behind in the dust. I firmly believe that schools and educators need to accept the fact that different people learn in different ways and that they need to support more than 1 way of learning so that more students can excel in their own way of coming to the correct answer. This math curriculum actually addresses the fact that there is more than 1 way to get there.
Furthermore, both of my children have been doing the new math program since they started school. To be honest, I didn't even notice that they were, I just remember thinking that I liked how hands-on they were with learning it. I assumed it was just their teachers finding a great way that works. Both of my boys that are in school do extremely well in math. They do these kinds of activities at home as well, and I can see how beneficial it is to them. When they, on occasion, don't get the correct answer the first time they DO self-correct and end up finding the right one in their own way. They are learning math skills that are actually applicable to the real world. Bottom line here is that I learned every single math skill that I still use in real life while I was in elementary school. I grant you that I'm not an engineer or anything like that, but I firmly believe that teaching math that is applicable to the real world is beneficial. If people are THAT adamant that their child memorize the multiplication table, then work on it at home for 15 minutes after homework or something. Be proactive in your child's education. Don't feed me lines about being a working parent. I was raised by a single working mother who still made sure to make time to help her kids with any and all school projects or homework they had. It IS possible to be a working parent and still be active in your child's education.
So there you have it. With all of the crap going around dissing on the 'new' math program, here was my side of the argument. For the record, I have read up on the new curriculum and how the teaching works before I wrote this. But this is Alberta. Even when we hate something, we're still unwilling to change it because it would appear that we hate changing it up even more. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Alberta and it would take a miracle to make me leave. But as a province we tend to be extremely resistant to change...That's just 1 mother's opinion, though.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Parenting and What Not
I break this blogging silence to stand on my soapbox once again. Earlier this week I had a friend/family member make an innocent comment on a mutual facebook friend's status. I understood why it was being made and really didn't think much of it. However, apparently another member of the extended family we've both married into did, and was highly rude in her comments to my friend. It made me realized that I have an official opinion for ALL seemingly controversial parenting topics of our generation. And my official opinion is this:
Pray for what is right for your specific child at that particular time. Then do what you are told to do.
Too often we are quick to judge others who make parenting decisions different from our own. However, we seldom know all of the reasons those decisions are made and are certainly not in on discussions between Heavenly Father and the parent about these decisions. I, myself, have received answers that others didn't understand and judged me for because they didn't have all of the facts and didn't have the right to receive revelation for me the way I do for myself. Who are we to think that we have to right to decide what is right for someone else? Ugh, this compulsive need for superiority in this generation just disgusts me. Do your best, get your own answers, follow those answers and allow others to do the same without acting like a condescending jerk. That is all...
***
Now that I've gotten that frustration out, we are about ready for the Christmas holidays here. I am still working on my Personal Progress after a hiatus. I am VERY MUCH looking forward to welcoming in 2014. This year was very hard on me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I am looking forward to the feeling of starting fresh and making 2014 a very awesome year. We have plans already for Spring Break and in the summer that we're really looking forward to. Plus, 2014 will bring with it the baptism of our oldest child, who will turn 8 at the end of September and also be starting Cub Scouts. Lots of exciting things to look forward to. But before that, I'm going to take a deep breath and plug through the very busy week and a half I have ahead of me :)
Pray for what is right for your specific child at that particular time. Then do what you are told to do.
Too often we are quick to judge others who make parenting decisions different from our own. However, we seldom know all of the reasons those decisions are made and are certainly not in on discussions between Heavenly Father and the parent about these decisions. I, myself, have received answers that others didn't understand and judged me for because they didn't have all of the facts and didn't have the right to receive revelation for me the way I do for myself. Who are we to think that we have to right to decide what is right for someone else? Ugh, this compulsive need for superiority in this generation just disgusts me. Do your best, get your own answers, follow those answers and allow others to do the same without acting like a condescending jerk. That is all...
***
Now that I've gotten that frustration out, we are about ready for the Christmas holidays here. I am still working on my Personal Progress after a hiatus. I am VERY MUCH looking forward to welcoming in 2014. This year was very hard on me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I am looking forward to the feeling of starting fresh and making 2014 a very awesome year. We have plans already for Spring Break and in the summer that we're really looking forward to. Plus, 2014 will bring with it the baptism of our oldest child, who will turn 8 at the end of September and also be starting Cub Scouts. Lots of exciting things to look forward to. But before that, I'm going to take a deep breath and plug through the very busy week and a half I have ahead of me :)
Friday, October 18, 2013
Babysitting...
I saw this thing on facebook about what is fair to pay your teenage babysitter, and it actually got me pretty riled up. Do we really treat our babysitters like doormats who should just be grateful for whatever scraps we give them. I don't expect a lot of extras from anyone watching my kids. I don't expect them to put my kids to bed, because they don't go to bed easily. I don't expect them to make any food, if they are watching my kids during a meal then I provide them with a decent meal (we usually have ordered pizza that is delivered just before we leave). I don't expect them to clean what they came into, I just ask that my house isn't much worse off than I left it. I don't expect them to do the dishes, I just ask that they be moved to the sink.
However, I AM asking that you make sure that my child hasn't terrorized my house or beaten up their brother, which they probably try to do many times while you're there. I AM asking you to make sure that my child hasn't choked on their meal and EXPECTING you to know what to do if that happens. If my child vomits or something like that while I'm out, I'm asking you to CARE for them for the 20 minutes (minimum) it will take me to get back home (and trust me, I'm feeling your pain if you had to watch someone puke). I AM asking you to try and convince my child to clean up after themselves as they are playing, which I will be the first to admit is not an easy task. And let's face it, I take care of my kids for nothing because they are my kids and I love them. It's a whole different level for me than what I'm asking of you. I'll be the first to admit that my kids are a lot of work to take care of AT THE BEST OF TIMES! For babysitters the kids are extra wound up, and for teens who aren't responsible for that kind of exhausting exuberance on a daily basis it is A LOT to deal with. Those teens often wear themselves right out to provide this service for me.
So the conclusion I came to is this. You need to look at ALL of the factors before deciding on a price together with your babysitter that you both find fair, before they actually babysit. If you can't come to an agreement on what is fair, find another sitter. If you can't afford to pay what your babysitter deserves, try explaining the situation to them and see if they're willing to renegotiate. If you STILL can't afford a teen babysitter, try asking other family to watch your kids. Or ask a friend if they are willing to swap watching kids with you, so that there's no money exchanged, but you're both still getting something for your service. And if you can't do any of that, then you make a sacrifice as a parent and stay at home instead of going out.
John and I RARELY go out on dates because we can't afford to do a lot at this point in our lives. When we do go out, my dad watches our kids, because I recognize that I'm not a a point where I can afford to pay a babysitter what they deserve for watching my boys. So we do date nights of games or movies at home. It's a sacrifice that we willingly make to be parents to our awesome boys. We recognize that if we didn't have my dad to watch our kids, we would pretty much never go out. In becoming parents, we made the choice to put our kids ahead of lots of movie at the theater nights or dinners out together.
I'm not saying parents should never go out, I'm just saying that parents should find a way to go out and still be respectful of exactly what it is they're asking someone to do while taking care of their children. I rarely say no if I'm asked to watch a friend's kids (always free, with one exception), and if I say no there is a highly valid reason for it (like my kids or I are sick or we already have something going on that would interfere with me giving their child proper attention). I'm sure there are other people out there who would be just as willing to watch your kids for you for free a couple of times a year for a few hours if you really can't afford a teen babysitter.
And remember, as a teen, giving up your free time is a huge sacrifice, so make sure that those teens are properly blessed for the sacrifice they are making. They have a LOT more homework than we did, their educational workload is higher than our's was and they need their downtime as well.
So that's the world of babysitting wages according to Nikki...
However, I AM asking that you make sure that my child hasn't terrorized my house or beaten up their brother, which they probably try to do many times while you're there. I AM asking you to make sure that my child hasn't choked on their meal and EXPECTING you to know what to do if that happens. If my child vomits or something like that while I'm out, I'm asking you to CARE for them for the 20 minutes (minimum) it will take me to get back home (and trust me, I'm feeling your pain if you had to watch someone puke). I AM asking you to try and convince my child to clean up after themselves as they are playing, which I will be the first to admit is not an easy task. And let's face it, I take care of my kids for nothing because they are my kids and I love them. It's a whole different level for me than what I'm asking of you. I'll be the first to admit that my kids are a lot of work to take care of AT THE BEST OF TIMES! For babysitters the kids are extra wound up, and for teens who aren't responsible for that kind of exhausting exuberance on a daily basis it is A LOT to deal with. Those teens often wear themselves right out to provide this service for me.
So the conclusion I came to is this. You need to look at ALL of the factors before deciding on a price together with your babysitter that you both find fair, before they actually babysit. If you can't come to an agreement on what is fair, find another sitter. If you can't afford to pay what your babysitter deserves, try explaining the situation to them and see if they're willing to renegotiate. If you STILL can't afford a teen babysitter, try asking other family to watch your kids. Or ask a friend if they are willing to swap watching kids with you, so that there's no money exchanged, but you're both still getting something for your service. And if you can't do any of that, then you make a sacrifice as a parent and stay at home instead of going out.
John and I RARELY go out on dates because we can't afford to do a lot at this point in our lives. When we do go out, my dad watches our kids, because I recognize that I'm not a a point where I can afford to pay a babysitter what they deserve for watching my boys. So we do date nights of games or movies at home. It's a sacrifice that we willingly make to be parents to our awesome boys. We recognize that if we didn't have my dad to watch our kids, we would pretty much never go out. In becoming parents, we made the choice to put our kids ahead of lots of movie at the theater nights or dinners out together.
I'm not saying parents should never go out, I'm just saying that parents should find a way to go out and still be respectful of exactly what it is they're asking someone to do while taking care of their children. I rarely say no if I'm asked to watch a friend's kids (always free, with one exception), and if I say no there is a highly valid reason for it (like my kids or I are sick or we already have something going on that would interfere with me giving their child proper attention). I'm sure there are other people out there who would be just as willing to watch your kids for you for free a couple of times a year for a few hours if you really can't afford a teen babysitter.
And remember, as a teen, giving up your free time is a huge sacrifice, so make sure that those teens are properly blessed for the sacrifice they are making. They have a LOT more homework than we did, their educational workload is higher than our's was and they need their downtime as well.
So that's the world of babysitting wages according to Nikki...
Friday, November 4, 2011
Christmas Comments
It's not a well hidden fact that I LOVE Christmas. I listen to my favourite Christmas albums year round and I get super excited for decorating every year. I love the spirit of it. I'd love to start decorating on November 1st every year and have at least 2 full months of decorations. I don't, though. I always wait until November 12th at the earliest. Because I don't want my focus to be decorations on November 11th. I'm Canadian to the core and have no idea what Veteran's Day is like in the States. But up here, I do my best to give Remembrance Day the respect that it deserves. I wear my poppy for 2 weeks before the day. I often read books that remind me of the sacrifices that people made in wars for freedom. I have already started collecting books that will help my kids to become educated about the World Wars. So many lives were lost and so many more were scarred to ensure freedom, that it feels disrespectful to decorate for Christmas before then, at least to me. But you'd better believe that I'll be unpacking my Christmas tote on November 12th!
On another note about Christmas, I keep wondering why everyone is allowed to have rights during the holidays (or year round, for that matter) except for Christians. Seriously, if someone wishes you a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa, no one's going to correct them or chastize them. Happy Holidays is considered perfectly acceptable, politically correct and highly encouraged. However, if you wish someone a Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas then all of a sudden you're discriminating and offending people. HONESTLY?!? Take a step back and realize just how lost and corrupt our society has become so that someone can't even give people a pleasant festive greeting anymore. So whatever people wish me this year, I'll smile, say thank you and wish them a Happy Christmas. Because I don't answer to cranky atheists who want to control the beliefs and morality (or lack thereof) of the world. I answer to Heavenly Father, and it's the birth of His son that I am thankful for this time of the year, and always.
*Takes a step off of the soapbox*
On another note about Christmas, I keep wondering why everyone is allowed to have rights during the holidays (or year round, for that matter) except for Christians. Seriously, if someone wishes you a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa, no one's going to correct them or chastize them. Happy Holidays is considered perfectly acceptable, politically correct and highly encouraged. However, if you wish someone a Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas then all of a sudden you're discriminating and offending people. HONESTLY?!? Take a step back and realize just how lost and corrupt our society has become so that someone can't even give people a pleasant festive greeting anymore. So whatever people wish me this year, I'll smile, say thank you and wish them a Happy Christmas. Because I don't answer to cranky atheists who want to control the beliefs and morality (or lack thereof) of the world. I answer to Heavenly Father, and it's the birth of His son that I am thankful for this time of the year, and always.
*Takes a step off of the soapbox*
Monday, April 4, 2011
Books, General Conference And A Rant
I have a confession to make. I love reading self improvement books put out by Latter-day Saint authors. My favorite ones are by Merrilee Boyack. I found books in the Time Out For Women Store that I want to buy. They are:
Wake Up To A Happier Life: Finding Joy in the Work You Do Every Day by Amanda Dickson
In Trying Times, Just Keep Trying! by Merrilee Browne Boyack
I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer: A Fitness Program For The Soul by Emily Watts
5 Spiritual Solutions for Everyday Parenting Challenges by Linda J Eyre & Richard M Eyre
I feel like these types of books help keep me motivated to work on the things that I need to work on. I love that feeling, and I especially get it when I'm watching General Conference. I enjoy spending 2 weekends a year hearing the leaders of the church speaking to us about the things that we need to know for our time. It was an amazing Conference this past weekend and I'm so much looking forward to studying the talks over the next 6 months until the next General Conference.
Over the weekend I kind of had a rant that I feel compelled to share a bit on my blog, since John agreed with me that it's a huge issue that needs awareness. I was reading that someone I know ended up having to stop breastfeeding and switch to using a bottle for a very good reason. Just over 4 1/2 years ago I went through that as well. We were never able to get Caleb to latch and he was starving. I had to make a choice. I chose to not let my son starve. Yet, there are so many women out there who treat us mothers who have to choose to bottle feed for whatever reason like we should be put in front of a firing squad for not breastfeeding our children. Seriously!?! It's disgusting how self righteous and judgmental these women can be. I wanted to nurse my children, but I can't. My body will not cooperate and I tried several different things to try to make it work. None of them did. So instead of letting my children starve to death trying for weeks on end to make this work while stressing myself out to the absolute max, I chose to give them the next best thing in order to save the health of both of us. How on earth does that make me a bad mother? I know that breast milk is better, but I didn't have that option (pumping wouldn't work for me either). We rarely know why people make the choices for their family that they do, and it is not our place to judge them for it. I think that's a valuable lesson. Okay, I'm stepping off of my soapbox now.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Other than my 15 minute rant, mine was great!
Wake Up To A Happier Life: Finding Joy in the Work You Do Every Day by Amanda Dickson
In Trying Times, Just Keep Trying! by Merrilee Browne Boyack
I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer: A Fitness Program For The Soul by Emily Watts
5 Spiritual Solutions for Everyday Parenting Challenges by Linda J Eyre & Richard M Eyre
I feel like these types of books help keep me motivated to work on the things that I need to work on. I love that feeling, and I especially get it when I'm watching General Conference. I enjoy spending 2 weekends a year hearing the leaders of the church speaking to us about the things that we need to know for our time. It was an amazing Conference this past weekend and I'm so much looking forward to studying the talks over the next 6 months until the next General Conference.
Over the weekend I kind of had a rant that I feel compelled to share a bit on my blog, since John agreed with me that it's a huge issue that needs awareness. I was reading that someone I know ended up having to stop breastfeeding and switch to using a bottle for a very good reason. Just over 4 1/2 years ago I went through that as well. We were never able to get Caleb to latch and he was starving. I had to make a choice. I chose to not let my son starve. Yet, there are so many women out there who treat us mothers who have to choose to bottle feed for whatever reason like we should be put in front of a firing squad for not breastfeeding our children. Seriously!?! It's disgusting how self righteous and judgmental these women can be. I wanted to nurse my children, but I can't. My body will not cooperate and I tried several different things to try to make it work. None of them did. So instead of letting my children starve to death trying for weeks on end to make this work while stressing myself out to the absolute max, I chose to give them the next best thing in order to save the health of both of us. How on earth does that make me a bad mother? I know that breast milk is better, but I didn't have that option (pumping wouldn't work for me either). We rarely know why people make the choices for their family that they do, and it is not our place to judge them for it. I think that's a valuable lesson. Okay, I'm stepping off of my soapbox now.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Other than my 15 minute rant, mine was great!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Brett's Big Weekend
We had a more eventful weekend than most of them. On Friday, Caleb and Ty decided to jump on the drawer from the bottom of Ty's dresser and bust it into pieces. The whole drawer is broken and definitely not repairable. One of Caleb's under the bed drawers is close to busted as well, so I decided that I had to bite the bullet and buy them a new dresser. So I asked my mum if she could pick it up the next day since they were going to IKEA anyway.
On Saturday, Brettley moved into his own room and his crib. I got the parts to put the dresser together for the boys and in the process of making it I managed to bust a decorative piece right in half. However, I didn't want to pay for yet another dresser, so John used some carpenter's glue and screwed something in to both sides of the break and it's holding good. On the note of moving Brettley into his crib, I know that there are some parents out there who prefer to have their kid room in with them for a long time. We aren't those parents, at all. Our room is OUR place. Brett has been in with us the longest and that was only because of how young he was. He adjusted very well to the switch. We feel "to each their own" when it comes to rooming in, this is just how we do things in our house.
Come to think of it, we're "to each their own" about a LOT of issues that tend to be seen as controversial: rooming in, nursing vs bottling, immunizations, circumcision, etc. We don't get nasty if someone does things differently than we do because we realize that each person is different and in different circumstances. Chances are that we know very little about the circumstances of each person.
Yesterday we got to take Brett to church for the first time. I was so nice to finally be able to show him to people. He handled it so well, except for spitting up on someone (oops!). Well, that's about all, but it was a lot more interesting than most of our weekends. Hope you all had a great weekend as well.
On Saturday, Brettley moved into his own room and his crib. I got the parts to put the dresser together for the boys and in the process of making it I managed to bust a decorative piece right in half. However, I didn't want to pay for yet another dresser, so John used some carpenter's glue and screwed something in to both sides of the break and it's holding good. On the note of moving Brettley into his crib, I know that there are some parents out there who prefer to have their kid room in with them for a long time. We aren't those parents, at all. Our room is OUR place. Brett has been in with us the longest and that was only because of how young he was. He adjusted very well to the switch. We feel "to each their own" when it comes to rooming in, this is just how we do things in our house.
Come to think of it, we're "to each their own" about a LOT of issues that tend to be seen as controversial: rooming in, nursing vs bottling, immunizations, circumcision, etc. We don't get nasty if someone does things differently than we do because we realize that each person is different and in different circumstances. Chances are that we know very little about the circumstances of each person.
Yesterday we got to take Brett to church for the first time. I was so nice to finally be able to show him to people. He handled it so well, except for spitting up on someone (oops!). Well, that's about all, but it was a lot more interesting than most of our weekends. Hope you all had a great weekend as well.
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