The Protein Compromise

To begin an explanation.  I have a list of aspirations on my home page; all of which are important to myself and my family.  We though live in the real world where we know nothing is truly 100%.  So, over the early course of this blog, I hope to share with you how my family has made decisions about our lifestyle choices and the compromises we make in striving toward our aspirations balanced with a sense of realism.   These are long term goals as well as awareness that being 100% one thing could be a detriment to another, for example, we love organic but at times this is not a frugal choice for us.  So, I could sit and worry and stew about pesticides, but then the stress and cortisol would likely lead to worse health problems than pestcides.  My suggestion is a large dose of acceptance and moving forward.
Even though we are vegetarian pescetarian (I dislike having to put a name to it.  We don't fit in boxes nor are our food choices a political stance) in my home, there was compromise  involved.  First, a little secret, D eats meat but hates to touch it raw.  Second secret, I don't mind touching it raw (just another product of the midwest meat and potatoes mantra), but don't eat it.  I do eat fish on occasion.

The compromise we are vegetarian at home and D eats meat when out and at work.  He does not do this to protect me from scary meat...actually he prefers it this way.  So, this family compromise was easy...whew!!!!  Oh and most babies and kiddos think meat is gross, so this was an easy choice...I will leave you with my thoughts that how we negotiate this life should be a matter of conscientious, mindful choice.  If you are okay with eating the beef cow beef cow then go for it.  For us eating eggs, cheese, fish, but not meat in our home fits many of our aspirations including frugal, environmentally friendly (you can feed more people in the world with the food the livestock eats rather than the meat it can produce), and nutritionally aware (hormones in meat freak me out...as does HFC high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats....I'll get off my soapbox...I did that once tonight when buying more Borax)....oooo time for the cliff hangers....I've been preparing a run of posts about the protein we do eat(even you meat eaters will find some helpful hints...think about a meat free meal per week or a meat free day..btw I heard this is better for the environment than eating local:O) ...and something with Borax...are you as excited as me?

Fully protein satiated,
Tracy

You go your way, I'll go my way

This post is misdated actually last night's post that I wrote in my head while I was up many times (stopped counting at 6) with sick Mr. B.  I am so thankful it is his first cold, but this means he had no clue how to cope; not that any kiddo really does.  So, in my head I wrote to all of you about my compromise this weekend.  Since telepathic blogging has not yet been invented, I am writing this during nap time today instead. 

Mr. B's very bad day (see post from Sunday August 28) had a compromise between the dynamic tired parenting team.  D did an environmental project cleaning up a local river with a group that does this as a long time project and I took care of Mr. B on his very bad day. 


The Compromise:  I do all of the household and kiddo duties on a Sunday (right after a family late night, so everyone is tired and off schedule) while husband D goes on a float trip canoeing to pick up trash.

The Sweet Reward:  No pie for breakfast :( but I did get to feel like I somehow did my part in bettering our little corner of the planet by watching Benjamin and giving up a family day so my D could volunteer.  Oh and the second part of the reward is that I did my duty without having to smell like a river...sorry D, but God Job!!! 

Here is the bragging (Is it bragging if I did none of the actual heavy labor?...Let's compromise and call it bragging by proxy) picture of their trash haul this year.

Yes, that is 43 tires!!!  Impressed?

Mr. B's very bad day

A few hints for what to do when the day is not going well.

Problem:  Won't take a morning nap.
  
Solution:  Maintain usual routine (for us 6 books, milk, rocking, a little singing) Try for set period of time (for us an hour...but he is restless active guy so this is not long for him)

Problem:  Never does fall asleep.
  
Solution:  Get him in a few minutes of sunlight preferably outside to reset the internal clock. (We I hung laundry while Mr. B played in my garden dirt...thanks to terrible heat this Summer the wow this is the best year for my garden turned into wow look at the dust storm rolling through the prairie my urban pocket backyard.)

Problem:  Won't come out from under table to get poopy diaper changed.
  
Solution:  Breathe deeply and say to self, he must come out some time.


Problem:  When finally coming out from under said table, pushes his new truck and slips getting a split lip.
  
Solution:  Hold him of course.  Grab wet wash cloth and anything frozen that he loves.  I keep frozen banana and frozen milk cubes in freezer for split lips, teething, cranky, can't wait 60 seconds for dinner, and special treats.  If too young to just hold and suck, either cube up banana or use a safety feeder.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2738035&prodFindSrc=search
 
Problem:  Won't eat because lip still hurts and wants milk but you need him to eat lunch before milk to make sure he FINALLY takes a nap.
  
Solution:  Give him favorite soft food to tempt him.  For, Mr. B this is hands down cheese. Then he moved onto applesauce, squash, and millet.  Before I knew it he was asking for grunting (weird kiddo, I know) for my Chinese Broccoli...what can I say he loves strange food.  Except scrambled eggs, which procures a sour face no matter how many times I offer this food.


Problem: Kiddo is still cranky.
  
Solution:  Stay on schedule or even start afternoon nap a little early (15-30 minutes works for us).


Problem: You are still in pajamas.
  
Solution:  Breathe deeply again, eat leftover brownies...make up tall tale for husband D about absence of said brownies and wipe chocolate off your face.


Good Luck,
Tracy


Because I care about the English language have a typo problem, I spell check.  Apparently "poopy" as in poopy diaper should be poppy.  What a great reframe!  I am not having a poopy day it is really a beautiful Poppy Day.   
I would like to thank dear Romeo for the following inspiring words.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Energy Saving: An Old-Fashioned Idea...aka Pie for Breakfast

Pie for Breakfast, not just an after Thanksgiving Treat.  Hey, don't give me that look. We all do it even if we don't talk about it in mixed company.  It's fruit, it's carb, it's yummy with coffee, sounds like a nutritious breakfast to me.

Yeah, I know wrong time of year for post Thanksgiving pie for breakfast treat, so let me back track.  We are trying to save energy for financial and environmental reasons. A gas oven is a big user of resources, so I am using an age old concept of making full use of it by doing a lot of baking at once to not waste the preheat. This recalls a great book I read recently, Going with the Grain, and her descriptions of the clay ovens used by the Taos Native Americans.  When in use for baking and not just beauties of the landscape, the ovens provide many hours of heat but at differing temperatures.  So the "baker" makes full use by preparing bread, pie, cookies, roasted vegetables, meats, you name it, to make sure they use it to its full extent.  Here are a few weblinks I found that you might like
http://oceansnsunsets.hubpages.com/hub/Baking-in-clay-ovens

and

http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow-photo/kiva-ladders-and-clay-ovens-by-travelpod-member-thetraveller88-taos-united-states.html?sid=14192602&fid=tp-2

My husband, D, has been wanting to make peach pie this week and waited for a big bread baking Friday night. So during the preheat, I roasted onions, eggplant, patty pan squash (quartered), onions, garlic, and smoked compressed tofu while the bread stones heated.  I baked the first loaves of bread while we ate and a few more during Mr B's playtime and bathtime.  While he rocked to sleep, D baked the pie. So this morning when neither of us wanted to fix breakfast, a fresh baked pie was too tempting (and I had a little guilt that I talked him out of cutting into it last night so it could cool properly)....long story short...it was D's idea (yep, throwing him under the bus...that's how I roll today)

The Compromise:  Bake many things all at once to save energy and money and time.

The Sweet Reward:  Peach Pie for breakfast (btw, we D tried a new crust for the fun of it because I used all the shortening, didn't replace it and didn't tell him...I am thoughtful like that...maybe more on a great new pie crust later)

Yep, I learned my lesson about the importance of saving money and energy...Being green isn't so hard Kermit. ;)

Tracy...pie eater extraordinaire

Mr. B's School of Weaning

WARNING: This post contains no real advice.  At best it is a new perspective that I learned, but no helpful hints...Good luck in your journey!!

I really thought I was a genius slightly clever when I realized I could use the frozen white gold, which was tarnishing in my deep freeze (I know gold doesn't tarnish, but breastmilk is also not real gold...so follow along my path just for fun).  The weaning journey has been rewarding and smooth rocky and sometimes one step forwards two steps back.  I have heard a lot of advice for weaning a child.  One pattern I noticed is that going the full first year (which I highly recommend for the health benefits to your child and continuing the unique source of bonding) can mean that weaning is a process.  Yes, you can wean one nursing every 3 days if needed, but that did not fit us.  ALWAYS be willing to find a routine that fits your unique relationship.  So, we have no set speed at which we wean nor is the time frame consistent.  Even given that it is not easy and is one sided at times.  I have found that replacing each with a bottle helps as sucking is a comfort measure for most babies....just watch a newborn's mouth move when he/she sleeps; this is self soothing. Well, afternoon nap has not been easy the past few days.  But then today it dawned on me hit me like a brick.  I had been using  surplus bottles (because the rings are breaking on his normal bottle brand after a year's use), but he pushes it away after an ounce.  Mom's intuition to the rescue.  Wash last ring quickly and pour milk into preferred bottle and voila wah-lah (prior word is too fancy for this victory).  So, now I am contemplating buying more baby bottles for my 14 month old.  And here you were wondering why I call myself the compromising mother.  Yep, never thought I would still be using bottles or buying them at this point of mothering.  Stay tuned for how to wean Mr. B off of bottles next; may serve useful to some moms struggling with the weaning process.
Lesson #1 at the School of Weaning: The little one teaches the bigger one how to wean not vice versa...

Old Fashioned Inspiration

The book was an impulse buy for a vacation read once upon a time, but has become a resource and source of inspiration in my quest to green up my home and especially my little corner of the world.  The book is The Green Book and here is a link for more information
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Book-Everyday-Saving-Planet/dp/0307381358
I love that it inspires me to do more by explaining in concrete terms the impact of what seems like meaningless choices I make all day long.  It is my going green best friend by encouraging the efforts we make already such as using florescent lightbulbs, recycling, composting, etc.  And it provides the kind words kick in the pants I  need to make other changes, such as switching to bar soap for handwashing and bathing because of the energy expenditure to make one bottle of liquid soap.
I am not a paid reviewer, so i will get no gratuities for this, but I strongly encourage all of you to check this book out.  It changed the way I think about green and to consider initial manufacturing impact.  It is the perfect buy for anyone like me who is too lazy to do all the research but wants to be green.  Hmmm, I wonder if there is a cliff notes available.  It's too much work otherwise.

Almost Most Things...True Confessions

Tonight's post is a sequel...I figure they make money and fame in Hollywood so I jumped on the bandwagon.  First we must take a trip backwards in time.  Four weeks ago I began a busy three weeks to the point that we went back to the basics; everyone was fed, bathed regularly, and mostly rested.  On those kind of days, those three accomplishments earn me accolades, inner peace the title of Mom.  So, today I finished the clean up from all that, YEA!!!  While cleaning the living room,  I made a happy discovery that continued my thought process from yesterday's "Almost Most Things" post. The truth is that at times frugalness slaughters all my other aspirations. 
Case in point...Exhibit A: the result of refilling a cleaning supply

Yes it is certainly incriminating evidence for a person who proposes to not use chemicals. Here's the extenuating circumstances.  I married my husband, D, in happiness and health and large windex refill.  I figure that the energy and environmental impact primarily occurred with manufacturing.  Yes, I can make my own cleaners (more on that later I promise), but I flinch at even the idea of wasting.  So, today I want to celebrate a milestone.  I refilled the spray bottle for the last time and I recycled the refill container.  I pronounce Frugal Cheap victorious over all other factors especially being green.
The confession...I have a weakness for anything frugal or chocolate. The word "free" makes me as giddy as a schoolgirl.  If you want to see sublime happiness give me free chocolate.

Almost most things

Tonight's post is an autobiographical tale of how this all began.  I never thought blogger would be a word to describe me, but having Mr. B inspired me.  Not him exactly but my thwarted efforts to find the information I needed to fulfill mothering the way I imagined. 
I have a problem with knowing too much. I crave information and I get nervous and skiddish in any situation where I can not access information I need.  The problem began with wanting to go the non-traditional route.  Cloth Diapering, Breastfeeding exclusively, Homemade Babyfood, Vegetarian food, Natural Childbirth, etc...The most important thing might be the etc since researching these topics led to information that inspired other pursuits.  Now I bake sourdough bread for my family, make some of our crackers, make our yogurt, and I am fascinated by lacto fermintation although have not yet added it to the repetoire.  So, how to do all this and maintain good health and time with my son.  My theory was that research would lead me to the easiest and quickest ways to accomplish all...I was naive.  So, I research when I can and when I can't I try what I think will work.  I feel a sense of responsibilty on this non-traditional path to give advice to others that I could not find and to give courage to all of you to find the compromises that work for your family.  I have actually found some of my unusual choices to be easier than the norm.  Cloth diapering may sound daunting, but it saves me time...no kidding here.  The washer takes care of cleaning with just two cycles and another rinse.  I can either dry in machine or line dry.  Mr. B is 14 months old and I have already saved money.  The bonus is that I never have to run to the store because I ran out of diapers which to me is the true savings as I dislike shopping and less trips to the store means no impulse shopping to waste money.
I realize I can't do everything, so I compromise at times and sometimes I sacrifice.  A little less sleep for the enjoyment of fresh homemade sourdough the next day is worth it to me. 
How I make choices?  I describe myself as almost a lot of things (because mothering require compromises whether or not moms admit it)...almost vegetarian, green, homemade food for my family, SAHM, frugal, chemical free/natural home, etc. When I am trying a new change to how I mother, I tend to continue if it fits at least two of the above list and especially if I find enjoyment in it.  For example, cloth diapering is green, exposes Mr. B to less chemicals, and saves money.  Making bread for my family is all those things, but also I love doing it.  That story begins with my mom teaching me to knead dough and bake and savor a slice of bread fresh from the oven.  She is more wise and spiritual than probably even she realizes...Hi Mom!

So in a nutshell, I am the Compromising Mother because my brain thinks too much and wants more than I can accomplish.  So, I am finding the choices that work for my family and blogging about it, hoping to inspire, help, or at least make you laugh.

Thoughtfully tonight,
Tracy

There will be poop

This post actually began last night, but then life happened.  Did I mention that I am a compromising mother.  Yesterday the compromise was to do all my mothering responsibilities and to go to work.  Today is a different story.  Today I tell the post I have been writing in my head. 

Hint:  Many issues with a baby's bottom can be solved easily with fresh air...on the bottom that is.  So, sans diaper at night is a great cure.  My little one never has had real diaper rash (thank you cloth diapers), but seems to have irritating poop with the recent culprit of grapes. 

Setting the scene: Rocking Mr. B to sleep with towel under him to soak up anything.  He is asleep and about ready for the crib transfer when I hear a rumbling...oh no not just a fart...pooping (sitting in poop has never been a concern for him, so he stays asleep).  Hmm what to do?  Wipe up poop best I can with the towel and lay him down in crib.  Pat myself on back for creativity and keeping him asleep (he is a restless sleeper).  Then, exit dark room into light and see the poop on my pants.  Mr. B is asleep in my bedroom, but luckily there are clean things on the clothesline.  Whew!!

Diapering Hint Take 2:  When baby has irritation on bottom, let him/her sleep without diaper, while you are armed with wet wipes, face mask, and full gown (sounds like labor and delivery ;)

Tracy
PS this post is sans pictures on purpose...no one wants to see...unless you are curious to see how his blueberry poop stained my clothes...ironic I know

My little black dress - Mascara

Setting the Scene...Baking in my comfy clothes pajamas, Mr. B in high chair eating throwing his snack on the kitchen cabinets.  Phone rings with impromptu pizza offer with family.

My response "Sounds like fun, glad I am not in the middle of anything and ready to go." "Can you give me one hour...please?"

Plan:  

1. Give son bigger snack to keep him happy
2. Get everything quickly in oven
3. Freshen up
4. Clean cottage cheese and tomatoes off of son
5. Dress son
6. Grab diaper bag
7. Pile into car
8. Look in car mirror...ugghhh, who is that looking back?...evil twin
9. Aha, mascara to the rescue

Lesson:
Even a SAHM mom needs an emergency mascara in her purse at all times...oh and a little lip gloss and pair of earrings (silver hoops for me) that match everything helps too!!!

....Did I mention the pizza was yummy?
Tracy

Confession...I type one handed...sometimes

I've been stewing in my favorite most used chair - the rocker - trying to figure out how to begin.  I am rocking my worlds greatest sleeping restless, curious kiddo back to sleep mid-nap.  So it hit me in a moment of inspiration desperation to start as not just me, but genuinely me.  My journey as a mom has been an adventure of love and creativity. I would love to say I am  a blogger who has it all put together...wrong.  I want to be all the things I aspire to be, but reality smacks me in the face.

My husband D laughed at my blogger name...yep he's the I've got your back supportive type.  He got his hand stamped at the gate so he is aboard for my journey as I try to be and do everything that I deem important--he even gets to help clean up the messes.  I truly want to do all the things I hear about that will make our lives better, except raise chickens, sorry D. We have a little dog, Tony, who daydreams of being a hunter.  You should hear his menacing growl when he captures a kill tomato from the safari pocket urban-esque backyard.  (Tangents are fun)

So yes, I have had to wake up from my dream world and become the compromising mother, which works well since i am sarcastic a realist at heart, although the curiosity got the cat (my sister's fav saying for me growing up) side of me tries to squelsh (did I mention my love of making up words in my list of interests in my profile) the realist in hopes of the daydreamer reigning victorious. So here I sit typing one handed in my organized home office rocker with 14 month old Mr. B in my left arm, laptop in appropriate location sans shift and f4 key and the six key  looking precarious...thanks again Mr. B. Here's a pic of my office place where I do my thinking.

Love,
Tracy

 It's actually a corner office with a window.