As you know, I’m always looking to get new ideas for posts, and someone sent me a link to an article by msnbc. It’s about tanning.

“Prior to the 20th century women were fanatical about avoiding exposure to the sun. Umbrellas and parasols went everywhere with any woman who could afford them. The French fashion designer Coco Chanel changed all that.

Back in the 1920s, Coco, looking to create a new “healthy” look to promote summer wear, popularized tanned skin. Women began sunbathing and those with a tan were seen in high society as beautiful. Voila! Skin damage as fashion accessory. You’ve gotta love an industry that has made anorexia and damaged skin cool.”

Nice, huh? My views are this:  Yes, tan does look better, but probably because it’s ingrained into my mind and taste by societal pressures since I was tiny. But, if someone is so vain as to tan their skin to a dark leather, why aren’t they thinking about how they’re going to look in 40 years? Have they not seen a woman in her 50′s or 60′s who’s tanned her whole life? NOT pretty. At all. Ever. Which is why I’m glad there’s spray-on tans and self-tanning lotion! I can have the best of both worlds.

And that’s to say nothing of melanoma; half of all cancers in the US are skin cancers! If people would wise up and realize they’re frying themselves on purpose, cancer would decrease by 50%!!

I saw a project done once on tv about tanning. A middle school-aged girl got 2 hot dogs and placed each under a tanning light bulb. She smothered one with sunscreen and left the other plain. Obviously she wasn’t planning on eating them. After some time (I wish I could remember how long), the hot dog with the sunscreen looked the same. The plain dog was shriveled, dark, and wrinkled. Precisely how we look in the same circumstances. The point was that this is what happens to our skin when over-exposed to tanning beds and the sun.

Here’s the link to the article if you’re interested in reading the whole thing:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25378496/

While we were on vacation, we took the kids to the local aquarium. It also happened to be “Shark Week”, for the 21st consecutive year, so the emphasis was on sharks there. There were shark statistics, one being 22 people were injured on the toilet; the same year there were 6 injuries caused by sharks.

There was a large tank that had 3 sharks in it; Pierce loved that part. If you look at a shark up close (preferably with a thick piece of plexiglass in between), you ‘ll see they’re a beautiful fish. They have a silvery-purplish color that changes, like an opal. It’s fascinating. I’d love to touch one (preferably a very small one in a tank). But I see how researchers get so mesmerized by them.

Shark size ranges from 9 inches (pygmy shark) to the ginormous whale shark that grows up to 39 feet! Interestingly enough, the whale shark eats plankton and other tiny fish. Some sharks completely replace each of their teeth every 2 weeks, ensuring they’ll be sharp enough if you happen to stick your arm in its mouth. The life span of most sharks is 20-30 years, while others (like the whale shark) have been known to live 100 years.  Sharks can also smell one drop of blood in as much water as an olympic-sized pool can hold.

There was also a petting tank in the aquarium, which is always Gab’s favorite part. There were a couple species of rays, a fish that I can’t remember the name of, and some horseshoe crabs. In a smaller pool, there were sea anemonies, starfish, and hermit crabs. Pierce preferred to look and not touch. Maybe next time.

And, speaking of shark, we went to a great restaurant that served the best shark steaks I’ve ever had. Paul got the same dish and said the same. Gab had never had shark (I guessed she missed the times I cooked it), so I gave her a bite of mine. She was very hesitant,  but thought it was delicious, too.

So the next time you’re out in the ocean, and you see a shark coming towards you, rows of teeth bared, open your mouth and take a bite! They’re fantastic creatures

I called one of my sisters today to catch up on life. She began telling me about work-related stresses they had last week. She and her husband own their own business and, therefore, have the occasional up-and-downs associated with doing so. Well, last week “Jane”, an employee for a competitor, sent out libelous letters to business and potential businesses who would employ my sister’s company. Jane said that the company was doing things that were not in code and that employing companies should stay away from my sister’s business. So my sister and bil went to their lawyer, who said, yes, you can prove it libel, and yes, you can sue…but it’ll cost $30-40k and would probably be better to write letters showing proof of good business, etc.

The conversation then turned to how fragile our life situations can be. If her business went under due to these kinds of problems or they lost jobs, they’d be in big trouble. They owe on equipment for work. They have a new house. They recently got a new truck for the business. Losing work would take all of it out from under them.

I think most of us are in the same boat. My husband once lost his job; we picked up and moved across country. Our community is very small, and we’d likely have to do the same thing if it happened again.

Living paycheck to paycheck is getting more difficult, especially with the increase of gas and grocery prices. “Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said the imbalance in spending before and after payday in July was the biggest it has ever seen…”, according to a 2007 study CBS did. And that was a year ago.  About 50% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck.

” Analysts at The Heritage Foundation recently examined how going from $3 and $4 retail to $5 and $6 retail per gallon of gasoline would affect the U.S. economy. If prices continue to rise at an accelerated pace over the course of a year:

• Total employment would decrease by 586,000 jobs,
• Disposable personal income would decrease by $532 billion,
• Personal consumption expenditure would decrease by $400 billion, and
• Personal savings would be spent to help pay the cost.”   (http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/bg2162.cfm)

Ouch!!!  So what do we do? Drive less and pray more! The LDS church has counseled its members for decades to build up a food storage that would last a year. This is wise counsel for anyone. If my husband lost his job, or my sister’s business had to go lean, we would have at least food to help our families.  But food doesn’t pay for gas and utilities. Each of us has to put away savings, even if it’s $10 a paycheck for occasions like this.

Money comes and goes and sometimes all we can do is hang on tight and hope we’re prepared for the worst. Our life situations can change in an hour.

We decided to try our hand at a garden this year. First one ever. There’s quite a few foods that grow well in the area, so we figured we’d better get those first, then expand next year. We planted zucchini, pumpkins, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. And a couple watermelon plants.

The zucchini, pumpkins, and cantaloupe plants are absolutely huge. We’ve began harvesting our zucchini, which Pierce finds very fun. He loves carrying these 18-inch zucchini up to the house. Our neighbors came by a couple days ago with a bag of the same vegetable; they have way more than they can eat (2 adults, a small child and a baby).

Sooo….I’m left with more zucchini than I want to eat plain! I checked out some recipes and found one that appeared appealing, so I thought I’d try it out. I’m all for experimenting with recipes and trying something new. It was actually a chocolate zucchini brownie recipe, but it came out more cakey. But quite good!!

Here’s the recipe in case anyone’s interested. I tweaked it to fit my lifestyle (used ww flower for white, splenda for white sugar, and applesauce for oil).

1. 2 c ww flour
2. 1 tsp salt
3. 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
4. 1 c splenda
5. 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
6. 2 c shredded zucchini
7. 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
8. 2 eggs
9. 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the wet. Then combine them and mix well. Pour into a 8×10 baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes.

And, I assure you, you can’t taste the zucchini; great way to make a healthy dessert!

I was starting to panic yesterday morning when I had only heard from 2 people out of 5. One was coming, one wasn’t. But then I began to get phone calls so I had hope again! Three of my girlies showed up, then one called (who said she was coming) and said she wouldn’t be able to make it. So it was the 4 of us.

We ate and just sat around and talked for 4 hours! It was great.  Most men would have been bored to tears and the children would have preferred bed to our conversations, but it was nice. It’s not often I (or the others that were here) get opportunities to just sit around munching and chatting about whatever comes up.

One of the ladies is really going through some hard times; I could tell it felt good to be able to talk to others about her struggles. And it was good to hear; it helped me appreciate that my life is ok at the moment. We also got to know her better and understand her, which helps build friendship and love. We all could relate to her stories to a degree.

We discussed kids, husbands, faith, funny stories, and what we had in common. We were all quite surprised how pieces of our lives are so much alike.

I told them I’d like to do this again in 3 or 4 months; one friend suggested we rotate homes and said she’d take the next party. Another one said we ought to do this monthly and said she’d take a month as well. So hopefully this will be an on-going event.  YAY! I might have a social life once again

Pierce will be 3 next week and I hear people around me talking about preschool already. Why? What’s the rush? Why do parents feel the need to get the child out of the home and into school at 3 years old? Isn’t home supposed to be the ultimate learning zone? Are parents just anxious to push the child to get ahead by putting him in school earlier? The child should be learning everything at home that they would at a preschool.

I’ve heard the “she/he needs the social learning” excuse. Maybe some kids do. But, in general, they should be learning how to share toys, take turns, talk nicely, sit still, etc., from their parents. Then it’s simply second nature.

I’ve also heard “it’s structure that my child needs from a classroom”. HUH? Teaching structure starts at birth. It’s called a schedule. A child wakes up, eats breakfast, maybe watches a favorite show (besides Spongebob), plays with mom or dad, then it’s snacktime then naptime. Nap’s over; lunch, clean-up if the room/house needs it, outside play, inside crafts/learning, then dinner. Dinner’s over, then play with family, and bedtime routine. Each of my older kids has thrived on these types of schedules and can predict how their own day will go. Routine and structure provide security and stability, and therefore, a happy and independent child.

“What about learning numbers, shapes, colors, math, and alphabet?” Well, as a parent, we should know all these things; we pass them on to our children. Pierce knows his alphabet, his colors, can count to 15, backwards from 5, up to 10 in Spanish, his shapes and a few other words in Spanish and Chinese. He also knows how to clean his room by himself. He didn’t learn on his own. As a family, we’ve taught him these things.  We’re in the process of teaching him math.

I’m not bragging; I’m proving a point. That’s why he won’t be going to school until Kindergarten and maybe not even then.  Paul and I have toyed with the idea of homeschooling for a couple years. I believe that it very much depends on the child’s readiness to sit and focus. Typically it’s later in boys than girls. And there’s pros and cons to it as well as many “if..” scenarios. If I, as a parent, am determined to do it. If the schools don’t pass my inspection. If my child doesn’t drive me crazy!

I don’t think homeschooling is for everyone, just like preschool isn’t for everyone. Each is an alternative. I don’t think someone is a bad parent for putting their child in preschool. I do know, though, that I’m going to keep my little kids at home and little for as long as possible.

I am very ready for a vacation but my body is not beach ready! Next week we’re heading to the Outer Banks for a week on the beach. It’s been a traditional vacation spot in Paul’s family since he was a kid and luckily I get to tag along.

I wasn’t planning on going this year; Paul and I had decided he would take the 2 older kids and I would stay home with the baby. I remember taking Pierce to Wisconsin for a few days and it was not the most pleasant trip we’d had.  He was a difficult baby and cried much of the time; the 11-hour drive was exhausting. So knowing I would be 4 weeks post-partum, I knew it would be best to stay home for multiple reasons. (can you say “hormones”??)

But things have a way of changing!! Dean came 2 weeks early and is a very easy little guy. I began to think about missing out on watching Pierce and Gab play and the wheels in my mind began to turn. Of course, Paul was all for me changing my mind. He wanted me there the whole time, but supported my decision to stay. But then another issue came up; my parents would be bringing Gab home (from her vacation w/them) and I couldn’t just turn around and leave them here. Luckily Paul’s parents invited them to come, so problem solved.

Ok, so that’s the background. Back to the point. I still have 15 pounds to lose!! I was a regular gym rat before baby came along and was in fairly decent shape. Babies have a way of changing things   Luckily I can squeeze into my swimsuit and I found some good self-tanning cream to help with my blinding-white legs.

So while I still may scare many small children, and give the older folks heart attacks, I’m looking forward to a much-needed vacation!

One of the great perks of being pregnant (for me, anyway) is not having headaches for 6 months in the second and (mostly) third trimesters.  Then the pregnancy ends and the headaches come back. Why? No one knows. It’s the great mystery in my life. Headaches/migraines started when I was 16.

“Have you seen a doctor?” Of course. A couple times. They found no reason for my problem.

“Didn’t they give you any medication?” Yes; the most-prescribed one for headaches/migraines. An anti-seizure med that was great in helping me lose weight, but also made my hands tingle and go numb. It worked for about a week then it quit. So the doctor upped my dosage. Then it worked very well for a couple weeks. Then it quit. That happened a few times until I finally quit the drug altogether. I didn’t see the point in staying on a drug if it didn’t work.

So now I’m not pregnant anymore and the headaches are back. Every day. It’s really more annoying than anything…being in constant pain and soreness in my head gets old. Paul and my mom keep pushing me to “go see a specialist; find someone who knows what they’re doing”.  I know I really should but it just sounds so lame…”Yeah, I have a headache.” I don’t want to be a drug guinea pig.

The whole situation is quite ridiculous!  Just a vent 

On a message board I hang out on, one of the girls mentioned girl’s nights and going out. I realized that’s just not something I’ve done in a long, long time. I have a lot of friends at church and the gym, but no one I hang out with for fun. Pathetic and sad, yes, it is.

So I came up with the idea of having a Girl’s Night In party at my house. I’ll kick Paul and the boys out of the house (Gab’s already out for another week and a half) and have some fun! I invited some of the ladies at church–the ones that don’t socialize either b/c of small kids at home. We’re going to eat pizza, play games and just be kinda goofy. Stuff stay-at-home-moms don’t do often with others. I’ve already made my menu: the previously-mentioned pizza (1bought and 1healthy homemade version of bacon cheeseburger on whole wheat crust), veggies and dip, punch, and dessert. I’m looking forward to the dessert (of course). It’s that mud pie stuff, but I’m going to layer it (pudding, cool whip, crushed cookies) in carved crystal, long-stemmed glasses. That way it’s luscious and lovely

Then I’ll get back on the treadmill Saturday to work off all the calories. *sigh*

Paul came to me a couple days ago with the idea of a blog. I kinda thought “Why me” but the more he talked about it the more I got into it.

He said if I tried hard enough (if??) I could even earn a few bucks! Wa-hoo, spending money!!  Apparently there’s sites you can check out that help you; they find advertisers and products to review then get paid for it. He told me one of the ones to get on is www.payperpost.com which is supposed to be one of the biggest and easiest.  We’ll see how that goes! It looks easy enough (hopefully I won’t mess anything up!) so I have hope.  And so my blog begins…