New arrivals

Meet Popcorn and Pochi, Kade's new to him gerbils!

Pochi

Popcorn





Kade is just beside himself with happiness. It's great to see him so into them.

Cuties

Yes...my kids are cute. Especially when they are enjoying themselves. This time, however, I'm talking about these boxes.





I have enjoyed making origami with Kade. He's made something similar, but this is my first time making these. It might have helped me fold if it was actual origami paper, too, instead of scrapbooking paper. But I somehow made do!

And for those waiting for cute...or at least news of what we are doing...here's just a moment.

Guatamalan worry dolls...

Kade found this craft on activity tv.



We didn't have the trash bag ties (can you say Ginger's too hippy?) but we did have pipe cleaners. This makes them a tad bigger than they were on the show...but still well worth the effort.


These two were made by Kade's hand. After he finished these, he was done and asked if I wouldn't finish his 'family' for him. He wanted two more. A girl and a Mama. Here's how they turned out.





I did a few for myself and hope to get back to them soon.




I also finished gifts for Annie...she is wearing the belt of bells, so I didn't manage to get a picture of that. I did, however, get to take a picture of her new hat! I made it out of cotton. The colors look weird on the camera - it really is raspberry and lime. Too cool. I may have to make one for me!





Annie is officially 21! I'm so happy for her!

Maybe it's a great time for those worry dolls, after all! Life is so big and full. The kids grow up so fast. Now it's time to meditate and try and keep up!

Just a thought on time...

In 23 days, Annie will be the age I was when I met her.

Kade will be the age Annie was when she met Kai.

Kai will be the age Annie was when she met Kade.

Time is fleeting and precious. I love the changes it has brought and the people that these three are. It just seems to have gone by faster than I thought it would.

If you are looking for me...you can find me snuggling with one of them.

What happens when you say 'yes'?

Yes...exercise your right to think for yourself. So true.




Fun ensues.

How's about a touch of Halloween in May?

May you say? Well, here is what fun one can have in May!

Victor Borge with Auntie Mary.

We went up to see Auntie Mary a few weekends ago. The boys generally like to go up there. She is always ready for us. There's popcorn made and drinks chilled. Kade and I went down to the pool for a bit while Kai and Auntie Mary talked. When we got back from the pool, she mentioned she had saved a few things for us to watch with her. Up comes Victor Borge. One of my all time favorites. The boys say they don't want to watch, at first. Then slowly they both come into the room and enjoy this show with us. Here is one of their favorite parts...and one that I would have to listen to it over and over to actually follow the whole story.



I love that they heard great music artistically interpreted.

Adventures...and ghost hunting.

I know I have been absent. However, that is mostly because we have been busy. Aside from the trip back East to see our family and friends, we have been visiting friends here and also visiting places.

Today we went to the Whaley House in old town San Diego. We arrived a tad early and were able to see friends before we went into the museum itself. Part of the joy was bumping into the man behind the Old Town Ghost Tours and Secret Haunted Places, Mike Brown. He volunteered to take us into the cafe and use some of his equipment to interact with one of the ghosts there. Of course, we said, YES! John, the ghost, is apparently stuck in that room. He did come down and make the machine sound off. John stays near the ceiling, so that is where we looked first. It was amazing as well as a bit creepy. Definitely worth every second.

Then it came time to tour the museum. Bill, our incredible docent, and another wonderful young woman, were very helpful and informative. He told us all about the history of the house and answered Kade's questions with humor and respect. Kade, of course, wants to know if he makes money being a docent and if Kade can wear the costume.

It was a wonderful tour. The grounds are beautifully maintained as well. There is a lovely gazebo the boys enjoyed playing around. Kade said there was a ghost woman who was there. He said she liked watching them play. Too cool.

After the Whaley House, we headed down to the El Campo Santo Cemetery located two blocks south. The boys explored a bit. Kade was able to roam freely. Kai said he felt heavy and 'not well' while we were in the cemetery, itself. Once we were out, he was fine, though. One of the unusual things about the El Campo Santo Cemetery is part of the cemetery was taken over by the expanding town. There are markers, now, that show where grave sites are. Like the Roseline metal markers, these grave identifiers are numerous along the sidewalk and some are even in the street.

Overall a fun day with friends. We came home, made lunch and rice crispy treats. What could be better, I ask?

OH! Oh, oh. Forgot to mention. C saw Thomas Whaley on the upstairs balcony while we were listening to the docent up in the theatre. She thought it was just someone working at the museum until she came downstairs and was looking at the pictures in the country store. She gasped and said, "I saw this man, Thomas Whaley, upstairs!!!!" Too much fun.

I redid this slideshow and added a few pictures from our friend. Also, this one has music, so you may wish to pause the music on the side bar. Enjoy!

Whaley House and El Campo Santo Cemetery from Beachbum on Vimeo.

As I was putting things on vimeo...

I came across this one that was taken about a year ago. Hope it makes you giggle again!

Kade on the pillow case ride from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Birthing questions...

I wanted to keep this somewhere...and what better place than here on the blog.

I received this note from a friend's daughter:

Hello! I am doing a project for my women's studies class. The topic is, "putting the natural back into birth". I wanted to ask you a few questions for my research, about your experience with home births and hospital births if you have had any. If there are any questions you do not feel like answering that is fine or if you have anything else to add, any feedback is great! Also if you know any mothers who would feel comfortable answering a few of these questions who have had a home birth or two that would be excellent!

What are your experiences with birth? At home or at the hospital?
What was most effective for you?
Did you have good experiences with a midwife or midwives?
Do you stay in touch with your midwife?
How did you find out about home births?
How did you find your midwife?
Did you have support during your birth/births?
Would you change anything about your birth/births?
Why did you decide to have a home birth?

Thank you!
Take Care!
Natalie Crevola-Miller

--

In response, I sent this:

What are your experiences with birth? At home or at the hospital?
Our first, Kai, was born in the hospital. Mainly, it was there because we were in the Army when we got pregnant and Jeff was still in when it came time for the birth. We didn't look into options at the time because we thought it would be really expensive to homebirth and because Jeff was very much coming from the main stream thought on health care. However, we agreed on finding a OB/GYN that was a single practice guy and who would support our natural birth choices. What we learned when we had our second, Kade, is how my body carries and births. What we didn't know when we had Kai is that my water breaks and 12 hours later I start contractions. This long lapse was not welcomed in the hospital. Both of our babies stayed really high until the contractions started, even though I was dilated and effaced. In the hospital setting, this was cause for constant monitoring to make sure the baby wasn't stressed. Even when he didn't show any signs of being stressed, they still insisted on monitoring. When I asked to walk, they told me the cord would wrap around his neck and would cause a lot of complications. This effectively scared us into doing whatever they told us to do. My OB/GYN had assumed things were going well and didn't get there until 9am (8 hours after I arrived at the hospital and 9 hours or so after my water broke). He was questioning why we hadn't walked...to help with the labor. Then when I wanted to walk they decided it was too late and that it was necessary to induce. We went with Pitocin and the labor still didn't start. At the second dose, things really started happening. This is two fold. My body (and Kai) decided at that magic 12 hour mark to start working on the labor. This was also when the second dose of Pitocin kicked in. My contractions and Kai's stress started to rise. I was not able to combat the pain of the double/triple peaked contractions and asked for pain killer. After hours of labor, Kai was out in 2 contractions. A healthy beautiful boy!

Kade, our second, was born at home. It was like night and day - our experience with each. For Kai we did the whole technical pregnancy. We had several ultrasounds. We were poked and prodded. With Kade, we opted for the midwives. We had charted our cycle, so were pretty involved in the process. I had taken Jeff down so many paths to a more natural way of dealing with health. Stopping the vaccinations, cloth diapers, co-sleeping, making our own baby food are a few of the changes he adjusted to. When we finally chose the midwives, I emphasized how close the hospital was how much quicker we would be treated if we came in than if we were already in the hospital. I also made sure we talked about the experience we were getting with our midwives. I especially loved the fact that Claudia had, as part of her midwifery journey before she moved to CA, the extra experience that came with having Amish clients. I know Jeff was concerned about the whole process, and am thankful he trusted me to know what I needed. So, in contrast to Kai's many ultrasounds, Kade had none. We heard the heartbeat (Kai did, too, as he was there for all appointments) and trusted that everything was well. When the water broke, I was ok with it all. I spent the time walking and rocking in the kitchen (the only uncarpeted surface in our apartment at the time). We had the living room set up to accommidate the birthing tub. I was pretty sure I would want to have a water birth. It was totally the right decision. Contractions started in around that 12 hour magic mark. At 1pm or so, Claudia arrived to check on me. I requested the water. This led to a check and I was still only 3cm. I still wanted the tub, so the Claudia trusted it. Once in the tub, labor really began. Kade's shoulders got stuck, and that was the only painful moments I remember. He made it out, but wasn't breathing. The midwives were right there with us, prompting everything. We held Kade and talked to him while they got the oxygen. It turned out just fine. I don't remember being deeply aware of the seriousness of the situation as Jeff was. I do believe that if we had been a hospital, we would never have seen Kade...and I honestly don't know if he would have made it without the comfort of our voices, our touch and our warmth. After the birth, the midwives cleaned everything up and and made sure we were comfortable. They fixed our first meal with a candle to celebrate the birth. At that moment, I knew I could birth this way 1,000 times and be perfectly happy. The water birth was the best.


What was most effective for you?
I was far more comfortable at home than in the hospital. I think this is true for two reasons. First, it was our second birth and we had an idea of what to expect. Second, I wasn't going to let anyone else take charge of our birth. It was going to be me and the baby. I trusted that millions of women had done this before me and that my body knew exactly what to do and that it was in constant communication with our baby.


Did you have good experiences with a midwife or midwives?
I *love* my midwives. We had a team (Birthstream in Davis, CA) and it made us feel safe. At different times throughout the pregnancy we connected more with one of them. In the end, they were incredibly supportive and the birth of Kade was an experience that I'd repeat in a minute.


Do you stay in touch with your midwife?
I have one of them as a friend on facebook...and she is listed as part of my family. So, yes!


How did you find out about home births?
My step-daughter was home birthed. My mother and her siblings were home birthed. I don't enjoy the MD world, so have always searched for the alternatives. After Kai, I was far more motivated to find those alternatives. I found information on water birth from Waterbirth International (http://www.waterbirth.org/) and was a reader of Mothering Magazine.


How did you find your midwife?
Early on, we looked at a birthing center. We heard of Birthstream Midwifery via word of mouth. A woman from the park day I attended mentioned them. We researched a couple midwives, but in the end went with the one that was most comfortable. As a bonus, they were the closest and had great referrals.


Did you have support during your birth/births?
Jeff was with me the whole time during each birth. His support was paramount in it all. I have to admit, though, that I don't remember him really being there except for a few minutes throughout the birthing processes when we were home with Kade. I think this is partially due to me being so confident and certain my body and our baby knew exactly what we needed to do. With Kai, I remember Jeff being there the whole time. He was my focus and the one who got me through the whole ordeal. My mother was at Kai's birth, too. At the time it seemed right. Looking back, I was trying to keep up appearances (both with her and the hospital staff), which I feel helped make the hospital experience the not so perfect experience it became, even though nothing truly horrible happened. With Kade, there were four of us there : Jeff and both midwives. I felt their presence. My focus not on them, but instead was on birthing.


Would you change anything about your birth/births?
I would never go back to a hospital birth. I would have a ton of home births, though!

With Kai, I would have preferred to be more assertive in waiting for the natural process and not have given in to the hospital staff's recommendations. Things the staff mentioned and said were just not anything like I had wanted to do. One nurse was just plain rude. When my doctor did get there, he was asking why we had not done the things we had intended...and it was mostly because we were of the mindset that if the staff was despotic then we really had no choice. I would never have stayed in bed and been monitored all the time. I would never have induced labor. I would never have taken pain killers. I would have requested they let me hold him before they cut the cord and cleaned Kai. I would have asked to be nearer him when they did all the cleaning and tests. Jeff was able to be there, so that was good, but not my ideal. I would have left sooner. There are things we did right, though. I'm glad I chose to keep him with me when they wanted to take Kai away to 'let me sleep'. I'm very happy Jeff stayed in the room with me, too. I'm glad we had the doctor we did. For even though we didn't do everything we intended to do, he was still on our side for the most part. I'm glad Jeff wore the bunny ears all through the labor. I wouldn't have my mom with us...and didn't for Kade.

With Kade, I would have made more space for me to be comfortable with the fluids draining out...and that would have allowed me the space to walk more. I would have taken more pictures after the birth...I don't think we have any of us actually holding him right after he was born. I would have made a point to have Kai there and/or had him home earlier. The things we did right : had a wonderful trusted team and chose water birth.


Why did you decide to have a home birth?
I think I answered this in what I have mentioned before. I was looking for an alternative to the mechanized birthing process found in hospitals. I wanted a path that was more in tune with what I believed - that our bodies, as women, know exactly what they are doing. I didn't want 'what if's to govern my care, but instead wanted a more trust based experience. I looked for practitioners that made sense to me and with whom I felt comfortable. I found all these in the midwifery and water birth options.

------

Natalie, thanks for letting me be a part of your research. If you need more from me, let me know. If there are more details you need, ask for those, too.

Hope you are well.

Slideshow of our trip to NM...

Trip to NM - October 2009 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Here is the video of Kai on his bungie ride. Sorry it's sideways...try not to get a strain in your neck.

Bungie ride at NM Ballon Fiesta 2009 - Kai from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Videos of the White Sands sledding, too!

White Sands with Alaina - Kade sledding October 2009 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

White Sands sledding October 2009 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Gotta love big Sisters!

Especially when they eat you.

Yes...it may be true.

This happened this morning. There were no pauses in the conversation, just a rapid exchange of words.

Kade: Good morning, Mama.
Me: Hey, Baby.
Kade: You know what's amazing?
Me: What's that?
Kade: When I get up I'm really awake.
Me: Yes, that's true for you. You've always been that way. The rest of us, not so much.
Kade: I think it's because I'm a kid.
Me: But Kai's a kid, too.
Kade: No, Kai's an alien.

Today

Well, we are rarely just sitting around...as you may already know. Those days are few and far between...at least in the summer. Now it's time to *do* things.

This morning was a slow start (as many of us stay up till the wee hours of the morning...)(as I type it is 1:00 am and both boys are still playing together)...so we started today around noon. Jeff and Kade went on a bit of a shopping spree. Kade is really into his tie up shoes and they are getting a wee tight. Today he came home with a snazzy new pair of Nikes. Jeff was on the prowl for new work clothes. He nicely bought shirts that are 'iron free'. (Can you see me dance a happy dance?) and was really stoked that Kade was truly helpful at the store. I think Kade was helping the salesman and maybe even another customer. Anyway, they were having a great time together. Meanwhile, Kai and I were hangin' together. Jumping from computer fun to tv fun as he tried to conquer and unlock all the characters in this one game.

Once Jeff and Kade returned, it was time for some Kai and Jeff time. Kai had asked for it since we are planning on going to see Harry Potter tomorrow with Annie while Jeff and Kade stay home.


Well, Kai asked to bike downtown to Jamba Juice. So after Jeff got some grub and changed into some comfy clothes, the bigger boys headed out on their adventure downtown. They ended up finding a great little market I'm supposed to check out. They also peeked into the used book store.

Meanwhile, this left Kade and I alone.


Naturally, we made cookies! Kade had taken the butter out last night, too late for cooking (the oven is right next to the room we sleep in, so would potentially keep Jeff awake) so today was the day.


He chose cookie press cookies. It's been forever since we've made this kind. Having only wheat flour can make cookies a bit thicker and a different color than white flour does. This is especially true for ours, today, since we also put in a bit of almond flour.


We melted some chocolate to put on top. Of course, this led to some wanting them to have faces...smiley ones at that. Here is what we came up with...


Kade's favorite.


My favorite.

After the cookies, we realized that the guys had forgotten to take the gate key with them. Kade suggested we gather a few blankets and head down to the gate to wait for them.


We gathered a few things and headed down. It was such a beautiful afternoon, too. Perfect. So we settled in and I started a henna design. Kade was having fun getting ready to hide once he saw them coming down the road...all the while talking with me without stopping to breathe...or so it seemed. I thoroughly enjoy his his banter as it lets me see a bit of what is going on in his mind. Anyway, the boys did arrive. Kade hid and was found. Then Jeff stayed a bit with Kade as Kade rode his turtle. So much fun was had!





The videos are still downloading on vimeo...so you'll have to come back to see them here... (tahdah)

Turtle fun July 2009 part 1 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Turtle fun July 2009 part 2 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Turtle fun July 2009 part 3 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Once the henna was done, this is what I ended up with. Happy Mama, I am.


Inside we chilled for about half an hour. Then the boys played more on the Mario game they are borrowing from friends. Jeff agreed to join in after Kai and he had a sock war.

Before we knew it, it was time for Jeff to head to snooze land. Kade stole a book reading or two with his Daddy. I got to tuck my love in and come out with the gang. Now it's been a few hours of catch up with the blogs I haven't been reading.

And I guess I'm ready to post my own things again!

Yesterday...or was it the day before?

OK, well I can't keep the days straight. So you'll just have to hang with the general "later" or "before now" kinda thing. Either that or everything will have happened yesterday - which may, actually, be accurate!

Enough, you say? Well, alright.


Yesterday I tied over 100 water balloons. No joke. When Jeff came home, he tied a bunch more. Annie stepped out to the corner market and brought more balloons home with her. So, we have been on a water balloon high. Well, Kade, mostly. Here are some pics and a few videos of the fun!




Note the change of outfit? Well, he went through a couple of sets...5 I think.

Kade and the water balloons - July 2009 - Part 1 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

I couldn't get the camera out the door quick enough to get everything in this one...but you can still hear him.

Kade and the water balloons - July 2009 - Part 2 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

After awhile Kade started saying, "Clean-up on isle 2!" as a way of getting me to help out. It was a great way to get me to help for I was giggling all the way down the stairs!

Kade and the water balloons - July 2009 - Part 3 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

BTW, Kade can now tie his own.

LIFE is Good 2009 Unschooling Conference

I've been trying to figure out how to write about this experience. Words don't do it justice. And the pictures we took were few. So, with permission from others, I compiled a slide show. It gives the feel of the conference, at least a touch of it. The LIFE is Good Conference is far more - and more fun than should be allowed. The Vibrations and Amy Steinberg actually gave a concert...so having their music a part of the video is a must. Here we are:

LIFE is Good Unschooling Conference 2009 from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Here is one that is more personal to our family and friends from home...it's a bit shorter, too... I've included some pictures from our stay with friends in Corvallis, OR. We were able to stay at the Gold's house for 5 days! We saw the Hessels, Cabatics, Golds, Lugos, Waynsforths (before they headed home to England!), Diana and Hayden and Scott, and the Holcombs (at the park before they went home to CO). Anyway, good times.

LIFE and our days in Corvallis from Beachbum on Vimeo.

Kade's art

Yesterday as I was painting, Kade was painting. Here is his work with the flowers he picked for me, too. Happy, happy Mama.

Laughter

Right now there is laughter so true that it is making tears. I love it when Kade laughs. At first it is kinda loud. Then as he lets himself go it gets really quiet...and pretty soon there is a huge intake of breath and it's back to the almost silent laugh. Such great sounds to hear.

Trip planning

Well, planning trips in general hasn't been my forte. I love to go, though. Mainly, I like to see new places and do new things. I think that is the spirit in which we will venture out on our newest journey.

We have had fun with Gardenia and her crew. Gardenia's brother, Luis, is organizing and giving instruction on native people's art. He provides all the supplies, talks about the reason the native people made the items and then shows us how to do them. We missed the dream catcher making, for which I am sad. However, we have cool medicine bags now. So I guess that makes up for it. Now, I look forward to getting more supplies and making some myself.

Luis read a book about the medicine bags which was his favorite children's book about the medicine bags : called Coyote Medicine Bag. It was a bit long for the littlest of the group, but still a good story.

Both Kai and Kade have the bags now. I look forward to seeing what they put in them.

Next time we will make rain sticks.

While at Gardenia's, Kade was racing and his knee popped. He landed pretty hard on the floor, in pain. I don't know what exactly made it pop, but it was definitely sore. He finally managed to gimp around and stepped outside...right on a bee. He had been looking forward to playing with his friend Cameron so much and it was sad to see him experience things that made him ask to go home. He asked not to go to the doctor, so we waited. The next morning he was still gimping and was still in a bit of pain. I asked again and to the doctor we went. Thankfully, the x-rays turned up nothing, but he did hurt it. The Dr. advised him not to run until he can walk comfortably. He hasn't run yet, but is definitely getting closer.

I have found a good way to treat the bee stings! Lavender oil directly on the sting and Apis homeopathic treatment. It worked well incredibly fast. Yeah!

Getting smarter.

Kade comes into the kitchen and says,

"I'm getting smarter by the hour? No. More like by the minute. By the second. By the millisecond."

Little does he realize he is exactly right!

And from Kai:

"I've got your ticket, Mama. I know exactly how you work."

What's a Mama to do?

More later...