Pandamoly

A Meme from Me to You

2012-02-16T00:59:00.001-05:00

I am currently engaged in *THE* Period from Hell.

Here are my thoughts...

How are you digging the memes making their way around? Share with me your favorite ones! Hop on over to the FaceBook!

Peacefully Keeping My Cool: Quotes from Ana

2012-02-14T00:01:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the February 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Respectful Interactions With Other Parents

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have focused on how we can communicate with other parents compassionately.

***

It's a fact. At numerous points in being a parent - from the period of trying-to-conceive (or if you skipped the "trying" part and "oops"ed it...) to the prenatal period to any given point in rearing your little one - someone will inevitably ask you "Why do you do that?" The tone with which this weighted question will vary - from the curious to the dubious to the skeptical, incriminating, brash, and down-right rude. Instead of putting up your defenses, explain your logic and reasoning clearly, respectfully, and conversationally. How does one do that? Let me give you some examples of how I tend to respond to my parenting ethos coming into question...

Continue...

A Follow-Up: Opening Dialogue with Your HealthCare Provider

2012-01-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

Earlier today, I posted about my somewhat disappointing annual appointment with my OB/GYN. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I'm a moderate-to-highly assertive person. You could change my name to Frank because that's just what I am.

Sometimes I forget that situations I nonchalantly find myself in can be quite intimidating to others. For instance, opening dialogue with and questioning information or decisions from a health care provider can be so intimidating for some patients, their needs and concerns go unaddressed when the conversation is not prompted.

I'd like to share this with you: HealthCare Providers, whether it be your OB, Midwife, Endocrinologist, or Pediatrician, are not infallible. Ever. The primary function of any provider is to assist in the management of your health, including but not limited to answering your questions, explaining your options for treatments and procedures, and referring you to appropriate information and alternate caregivers as necessary.

So why are so many people afraid to question their providers? There's no clear answer, but I feel the two main causes are the respect (and rightfully so) we reserve for medical professionals and an uncertainty of how to approach them.

Continue...

The Good, The Bad and The Indifferent of My Annual...

2012-01-27T03:30:00.002-05:00

I had my annual last Friday. You know, that annual. The legs-in-the-stirrups-scoot-down-a-little-poking-and-prodding annual. It wasn't bad, but it really never is.

I feel like post-baby, my relationship with my doctor has changed. I liked her a lot before I was pregnant - she was originally at the practice I went to for that sort of stuff, and when my doctor retired (he was actually the one who delivered me... Fancy that!), I began seeing her. When she moved to a location much closer to where I lived, it was a sealed deal - she was my doctor. I loved her while I was pregnant. I had a so-so pregnancy, filled with ups and downs (I touch on some of it here in my birth adventure story). She was emotionally supportive, especially when I needed it most; she was very knowledgeable and compassionate; she took really great care of me. In the first months post-partem, she was a God-send and really restored my slightly wavering faith in the medical community (I realize not all doctors are like her, but she was/is great).

OMG... Remember when he was that little?!

But now... I feel like that bond is lacking. I haven't seen her in almost a year. Obviously she knows me - she's been my doctor for over six years now. I went in for my appointment last week optimistic about seeing her but ended up leaving feeling slighted... Unhappy, even, of all things!

Continue...

OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting

2012-01-10T00:01:00.036-05:00

Welcome to the January 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Experiments in Natural Family Living

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have reported on weeklong trials to make their lives a little greener and gentler. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

This month's Carnival of Natural Parenting is pretty cool. Take a crunchy concept, seemingly somewhat foreign, something that piques the interest, and go with it for a week. We're moderately crunchy as it is, and with winter settling into full force, some of our "let's try that!" options were a little... eh... bleh. So, perfectly coinciding with my week off, I decided to "reconnect" with my son in an experiment we called "OHMIGAWD MOM IS HOME ALL DAY EVERYDAY!" I will preface all this with this - I just wanted to do Mama Cloth. Thank you, Breastfeeding, for my immaculately difficult-to-track, non-schedule-adhering menses, yielding not so much as a drop in the 7 weeks I thought about doing this. Of course, I'm sure as I type this, to spite me, my period is on its way shortly - more fodder for a later post, I suppose.

Presentation of Experiment:
One normally highly stressed mother will be removed from her normal work week and given an extended period of "time off." Her 16 month old son, accustomed to being juggled through caregivers throughout the week (literally, a different one each day...) will be expected to interact with nearly solely his mother for a minimum of one week's duration. Highly attentive parenting, reconnections, and lots of love are expected to ensue.

Hypothesis:
I initially hypothesized that Nikola and I would have an uber-relaxing, chill-sesh of a week - playing together, coloring, taking naps, petting the dog, playing dolls (or whatever... with his dolls), etc. I then revised my hypothesis to, "I will survive a week with Nikola." Just kidding - I keep the "uber-relaxing" hypothesis all week. Since I am seldom afforded a day off (weekends not excluded), I wanted to make the most of my time off and reconnect and enjoy his company a la Maternity Leave.

Materials:
-One Mother (Me)
-One Child (Niko)
-One Week, No Work (Because I DID cheat a touch and have my mom take him for his normal Thursday overnight - so I could go out for New Years and go into work for a few hours - we'll count the week from Saturday 24 December through Monday 2 January)

Niko had some "I can feed myself!" Time...

Procedure:
1. Remove Mother from Work-Week Scenario and place at home.
2. Cancel babysitters except for Thursday overnight so Mom can have some holiday celebratory time... I mean, so Nikola can get his "Baba"-fix.
3. Observe.
4. Repeat for 7 full days.

Results:
Mother - Thoroughly enjoyed sleeping-in and cosleeping-in; Picked up many many many toys; Chased constantly; Tried teaching new signs; Taught new words; Heart readjusted to handle larger incoming loads and exporting at a higher frequency; Patience chip updated; Memory space cleared for names of toys, characters, movies, and books; Many, many hugs and kisses administered and received.

Son -Learned at least two (2) new recognizable words ("Snow" and "Woody" - yes, like from Toy Story), possibly more bases; Worked on Potty-Training - going well; Pleasantly surprised with the abundance of boobage available on demand; Many, many hugs and kisses dispensed.

House - The house was pleasantly kept clean(-er than usual).

Ginger got oodles of cuddles from both of us...

Discussion:
An abundance of quality time was spent. Tangible evidence includes the addition of two new "whole" words and at least two new "partial" words to Nikola's vocabulary ("Snow" and "Woody," and "Water" and "SpongeBob" aka "Bob"); use of the potty for both #1's and #2's at least twice per day; soreness of nips from exuberant nursing; huge smiles and a relaxed attitude in Mom. The responsiveness factor of Mom to Son went up considerably, as did the overall demeanor while care-taking. Love factor did not increase dramatically, although robustness capacity was greatly enhanced. Pride and joy were made evident, as was unconditional and deep-rooted love.

"Hey! You're not usually here! Don't you have work to do?!"

Conclusion:
Toddlers are exhausting yet immensely loving creatures. This week off has really given me perspective into just how tiring taking care of my monster... I mean, son... is. It was really nice to spend a lot of time bonding with him, though - being able to nurse on demand (and past patience at some points... really, do you need to be attached for 70 minutes straight? I know the thing was bled dry after 20...), being there to put him down and wake him up from naps, just being able to play with him without being exhausted, irritated, and over it before it begins (This all sounds kind of bad to say, but trust me, I do it all with a smile at home - despite being exhausted and usually in a unfortunately not-good mood when I come home, sometimes at 18:00 or even later - I force the smile and make sure to be in a good mood for my son - and occasionally countdown the seconds until bed time...). I am so proud of Niko as he buds into a little cognizant being, and I think we were both really fortunate to be able to spend a mostly uninterrupted week together.

If you could take a week to experiment, what would you try? Share with me in the comments or on the FaceBook.

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 10 with all the carnival links.)

Make your own moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.
Cold Water Only — Brittany at The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot water to wash laundry.
Family Cloth... Really?? — After lots of forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides to take the plunge with family cloth.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day — Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and recycling every day.
Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she feels.
Craftily Parenting — Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting makes her a better parent.
Changes — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen couldn't choose just one area to experiment with, so she wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!
Life without Internet: Not all it's Cracked up to Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.
My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting progression all the way to trying raw milk.
mama's new little friend. — Sarah at Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to "green her period," and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!
Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works better than the store-bought chemicals!
Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the oil-cleansing method.
I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro couldn't decide which experiment to run, so she did them all.
7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family — The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the "holiday junking" with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an explanation of macrobiotics.
Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.
Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution — Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over to crystal deodorants and definitely isn't looking back!
Going Raw (for a while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares her family's experience with raw food.
Do we get to eat gluten today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in his diet … but it's really hard to tell for sure.
Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.
Our cupboards are full...but there's nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather than going shopping — but there's something that she just can't bring herself to do …
Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.
Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.
Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the future.
Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.
Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home, and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.
Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.
The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.
Experiments in Natural Family Living - Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.
Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family's switch to and search for organic foods for one week.
My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.
Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.
My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.
My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.
Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.
Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.
All you need is...vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.
Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, "YES!!" to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.
Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been hanging around the kitchen for too long.
Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.
Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.
From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.
Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn't Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that's so easy she didn't even realize it was happening.
Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn't sure how successful her worm bin will be, but she's having fun anyway.
Miles to Go ... — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she's in real deep.
My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.
OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.
Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.
Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No 'Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the world of no 'poo.
My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning — Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.

It's Oh So Quiet... Until!

2011-12-14T11:04:00.000-05:00

I have been on a pretty hardcore break as of late... Why, you ask? Between Niko's insatiable curiosity (which is great, no doubt, yet tiresome nonetheless), business at my nine-to-five picking up, and the "joys" of home-ownership, I've been pretty busy outside of the FaceBook and Blogosphere. Oh, there's another thing eating my time - I started selling little tidbits online!

I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there - this post is just a shameless plug. I'd really love it if you checked me out. I'm listed on Etsy, and you can find an accompanying homepage here (that will at some point in the near future house a separate store to buy directly from me). If you are on the FaceBook, you can head over and "Like" my Page or follow me on the Twitter, @pandamoly.

I have a giveaway planned for early January to kick off the new year and am currently accepting applications for anyone who would like to Volunteer to Test Products before they roll out or Host a Blog/Website Review and Giveaway. Please feel free to sign up for both!

So what am I offering up, you ask? Hand- and Home-Made Personal Care Items and the Occasional Odds-and-Ends that I craft up. So far I've had a lot of positive response, and I'm looking forward to sharing my creations with many more! I am stocking Solid Beeswax and Almond Oil Roll-On Perfumes, Salt and Sugar Scrubs, Hand Salve, Bottom Wipes & Accessories, and will be rolling out much, much more over the next week or so. I'm happy to take custom orders if you're dying for a certain scent blend or are allergic to any given ingredient. I'll be running weekly and monthly specials as I create more stock and learn what your favorites are!

I'm really excited to share this with you all and hope that you come to try my products and love them as much as I love making them! I really appreciate all the kindness and support I've come to find in the blogging communities I've entered, and I look forward to continuing to build a strong relationship through many more facets. I love you all!

Do you have a shoppe on Etsy or elsewhere? I'd really love to take a gander! Share a link in the comments or on the FaceBook.

Choosing Honey

2011-11-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

There's an anecdote that often rings pertinent - "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Here's a fact: it's not just an anecdote - it's true.

Preferably, You'll employ Local, Raw Honey

I peruse and engage in a gaggle of communities and pages on the FaceBook - Natural Parents Network, The Leaky B@@b, The Feminist Breeder, The Whole Network, amongst others and many a-blogger. I have a very diverse group of friends - some married, many single, some with children, some trying to conceive, some with children no where in their future, some with college educations, some who dropped out or never had it in their plans to go... You get it, I have a bunch of friends. Point being, I've seen some disconcerting behaviour as of late, ranging from mildly humourous yet mildly offensive to downright inappropriate for humane discourse, both online in various forums and in "real life" with my friends.

For the April Carnival of Natural Parenting, I wrote about what I called "The Three R's of Effective and Gentle Advocacy." I would like to reiterate what I posted before - Whenever we are engaged in advocating and standing up for our beliefs, respect is immensely crucial. It is central. Of course, having sound reason and practicing your preachings are important, also.

The internet is a difficult medium to transcribe feelings and conversational intent. A comment in jest can quickly take a turn for the worse and end up seriously offending someone. A statement meant in good faith can seriously hurt someone's feelings. Banter does not help one's cause, nor does name-calling, making personal attacks, putting people in the spotlight, or creating non sequitur arguments. Sometimes the truth of a matter can be harsh, and there are many hot button issues that are constantly pressed (Cesarean Sections, Discipline of Children, Circumcision, Home Births, Animal Cruelty, Responsible Living).

We're all adults, right? We all have beliefs, arguments, knowledge, and value, right? We all have feelings, right? Let's try to be mindful of what we say and maintain an air of respect above all. Speak (or type, as it may be) with intent to add value, not degrade. Seek opportunities to educate, not argue. Turn your cheek, take the high road, gently and respectfully discuss. When you are offended, avoid creating a blowout. Opinions and personal knowledge are crucial to further discussions, but without respect, a discussion can easily turn into a one-way street, leading to frustration, hurt feelings, and anger for those involved. Let's try to use a little honey when getting our points across instead of relying on the acidic bite of vinegar to scar it in.

As Thumper recanted, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all." (Despite the double - triple? - negative, the point rings clearly).

Foster communities. Foster discussion. Foster respect.

Let's get along. What do you think? Tell me what we can do to foster discussion and respect. Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

The Phantastically Multipurposed Phyllo!

2011-11-08T00:01:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the November Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids in the Kitchen

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how kids get involved in cooking and feeding. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

Cooking with my child is a daunting task I have yet to fully embrace. Cooking for my child - different story. I have an exceptional eater on my hands, who loves fresh fruit, meats and cheeses, vegetables in many a form, and savors consciously-concocted sweets. Easily my favorite ingredient to cook with for myself and my son is Phyllo (sometimes also seen as Phylo, Fylo, Fyllo, Filo, Fillo... it's that sheet dough probably sold in your grocer's frozen doughs and desserts section near the pie... Also know as near-impossible to make at home).

Phyllo dough? Like the stuff you make struedel with? Yep!

Here are some basic tenets holding true regarding Phyllo in my house...

1. Anything can be made into a Struedel.

2. Anything can be made into a flaky pillow.

3. Phyllo makes a delicious munchie snack eaten by itself or brushed and warmed with butter and/or spices.

This is the extent of Niko's helping-abilities in the kitchen...

So what is Phyllo? It's a very thinly stretched dough made of unleavened flour, water, oil, and white vinegar or raki. It is typically used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, with many European nations also have dishes that call for it. Most commonly thought of, yes, is struedel.

Phyllo is super convenient, very moderately priced, and as a bonus, also comes in an organic varietal. Pillows or pies can be made that are akin to an enveloped sandwich; Struedal is a delicious, self-contained dessert (or meal!). It's clean, it's easy, it's super tasty!

Some items of interest when cooking with Phyllo - it dries very quickly, so you must always keep a dampened tea-towel covering the unused portion but your towel shouldn't be too damp because wet Phyllo is impossible to salvage. Phyllo tears easily, so, again, it should be kept moist but not wet. One sheet of Phyllo is never enough. Phyllo's best friend is butter - not margarine, not vegan toast spread, not anything that is buttery yet not butter.

With that out of the way, here are a couple of my Phavorite Phyllo Phashionings...

A Good Dinner Idea: Lamb & Feta Struedel

Makes 2 Rolls, Enough for Dinner for 2 Adults + 1 Little One, with Left-Overs (maybe)

What you will need...

-8 sheets of Phyllo dough

-Lamb - about 1/3-1/2 lb - I like getting one shoulder cut, but you can use ground, meat from riblets or legs, or even use a different meat or protein if you like.

-1/2 cup Portobello or Crimini Mushrooms - Sliced

-1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach (you could used frozen in a pinch - just make sure it's drained well... cut it down to about 1/3-1/2 cup frozen)

-1/2 Onion and/or 1-2 tsp Minced Garlic

-Seasoning (ie. Italian Seasoning, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Mint) and Salt to Taste

-Butter

Instructions:

1. Heat up a small frying pan to Medium-Medium High. Mince your Garlic and/or Onions. Place approximately 1 tsp butter in pan and quickly add Garlic and/or Onions. Turn on your oven to 375-400 (or if you're like me... your toaster oven.)

2. Allow Garlic/Onions to begin to cook. After they become quite fragrant (5 minutes or so), add your lamb. If you have never cooked with lamb, a word of advice from a new lamb eater (and successful lamb cooker) - Lamb overcooks quickly. Your goal is to slightly more than sear it. You are going to want to pull it off pink in the middle (it'll cook more, no worries, but you want it off before it cooks through on high heat).

3. Turn lamb over when the first side is cooked - 2 to 3 minutes and likewise sear the second side.

4. Pull lamb out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Leave it alone for a minute.

5. DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR PAN OR THE GARLIC OR FAT! You can even cut a little smidge of fat off your lamb cut and throw it back in the pan. Trim your lamb of fat. Cut it into small strips and chunks.

6. Add about 2 tbsp Water to your pan. Add mushrooms and spinach (and other veggies if you'd like... asparagus would be good!). Let them cook for 5 minutes until some of the water has cooked off and the veggies have picked up the left-over flavor. Turn heat off and add lamb back into pan.

7. Separate your sheets of Phyllo dough into two piles of 4 sheets each. Butter your cooking pan (Old-School Corning/Pyrex pans work GREAT!) with a thin layer. Gently brush a thin layer of butter on one end of Phyllo.

8. In front of butter lining, add your filling. Sprinkle a little bit of spices over your filling - Italian Seasoning is great here! Gently roll your struedel, starting by folding over your buttered line then gently rolling forward. It can be helpful to prepare the Phyllo over a tea towel and using the towel to help you roll it up.

9. Place roll into your cooking pan. Brush a small amount of butter over the rolls (to your taste...). Cook at 375-400 for 10-15 minutes uncovered until the top is golden brown (to your liking). Remove, cool, and enjoy!

Here is an elementary pictutorial on rolling struedel. Please pardon my poor graphic design skillz.

A Good Dessert Idea: Spiced Plum Struedel

What you will need...

-4 sheets of Phyllo dough

-4-6 Pruning Plums

-Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Allspice, and/or Nutmeg (Spice according to your tastes and preferences - think "warm" spices)

-1/4 cup Sugar (any sugar you like... white, brown, sucanat) **optional**

-1 tbsp Molasses (Black-Strap preferred) **optional**

-1 package Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar **optional**

-Butter

Instructions:

1. Wash and pit your plums. Slice plums into eighths then into 1/4" chunks. Place plums in a small cooking pot with 1/3-1/2 cup water over medium to medium high heat. Allow plums to reach boiling point, stirring constantly. After boiling for about 5 minutes with constant stirring, reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook plums to tenderness (but not quite mush). Add spices and sweeteners (optional) and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Prepare your Phyllo dough after plum mixture has cooled. Melt 1-2 tbsp butter. Place two sheet of Phyllo on a clean cutting board. With a brush or spoon, brush each margin with butter. Place second two sheets over first sheets. Brush with butter. With a spoon, glob plum filling from one end to the other lengthwise, leaving about 1 inch margin all around (or 1 inch on one side and 2.5-3 inches on the other).

3. With care, lift unplummed margin and place over the closest edge of plum filling. Roll the dough gently onto itself, stopping to brush with butter as often as you like. Once fully rolled, brush top with butter, place into a (you guessed it!) buttered cooking pan and sprinkle a little Vanilla Sugar over the top surface (don't use all of it!).

4. Place pan into a pre-heated oven set at 375ºF. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle remaining Vanilla Sugar over struedel, allow to cool, then dig in!

Wo ist mein Strudel?

You can also make either of these recipes into pillows in smaller pans or on cookie sheets by placing your filling in the center and folding the Phyllo in over it (with butter between the layers). You can also substitute any meat or veggies (choose veggies that aren't too "wet") for the dinner roll and any fruit combination for the dessert roll. Apples (fresh, butter, canned), grapes (jam/preserves), pumpkin (fresh, canned & sweetened), or cottage cheese with a little vanilla sugar are all great.

Phyllo is easy to use in a pinch, and hopefully your homestead comes to love it as much as mine has! I don't believe I'd ever recommend struedel on a daily basis, but its creation is a worthy exercise to be mastered as it can be a great way to get your family to eat a variety of new foods or things they wouldn't normally (like spinach!). Happy Struedeling!

What are some staples in your home? Tell me all about it! Share in the comments or on the FaceBook!

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be live and updated by afternoon November 8 with all the carnival links.)

Baking & letting go — Cooking with kids can be a mess. Nadia at Red White & GREEN Mom is learning to relax, be patient, and have fun with the process.
Family feeding in Child of Mine — Lauren at Hobo Mama reviews Ellyn Satter's suggestions for appropriate feeding and points out where her family has problems following through.
Children with Knives! (And other Kitchen Tools) — Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy teaches her children how to safely use knives.
"Mommy, Can I Help?" — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes about how she lets her kiddos help out with cooking, despite her {sometimes} lack of patience!
Solids the Second Time Around — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes recounts her experiences introducing solids to her second child.
The Adventure of Toddler Tastebuds — The Accidental Natural Mama shares a few things that helped her daughter develop an adventurous palate.
A Tradition of Love — Kelly at Becoming Crunchy looks forward to sharing the kitchen traditions passed on from her mom and has already found several ways to involve baby in the kitchen.
The Very Best Classroom — Alicia C. at McCrenshaw's Newest Thoughts reveals how her kitchen is more than a place to make food - it's a classroom!
Raising Little Chefs — Chef Mike guest posts on Natural Parents Network about how he went from a guy who couldn't cook to a chef who wanted to teach his boys to know how the food we love is made.
In the Kitchen with my kids — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine shares a delicious soup recipe that her kids love.
Papa, the Pancake Artist — Papa's making an incredible breakfast over at Our Mindful Life.
Kids won't eat salad? Try this one! — Tat at Mum in Search is sharing her children's favourite salad recipe.
Recipe For a Great Relationship — Cooking with kids is about feeding hearts as well as bellies, writes Hannah at Wild Parenting.
The Ritual of Mealtimes — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins writes about the significance of mealtimes in her family’s daily rhythm.
Kid, Meet Food. Food, Kid. — Alburnet at What's Next? panicks about passing on her food "issues" to her offspring.
Growing Up in the Kitchen — Cassie at There's a Pickle in My Life shares how her son is growing up in the kitchen.
Harvesting Corn and History — From Kenna at School Garden Year: The kids in the school garden harvest their corn and learn how much history grows in their food.
My Guiding Principles for Teaching my Child about Food — Tree at Mom Grooves uses these guiding principles to give her daughter a love of good food and an understanding of nutrition as well as to empower her to make the best choices for her body.
Kitchen Control — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro writes about her struggles to relinquish control in the kitchen to her children.
Food — Emma at Your Fonder Heart lets her seven month old teach her how to feed a baby.
Kitchen Fun? — Adrienne at Mommying My Way questions how much fun she can have in a non-functional kitchen, while trying to remain positive about the blessings of cooking for her family.
Kitchen Adventures — Erica at ChildOrganics shares fun ways to connect with your kids in the kitchen.
Kids in the Kitchen: Finding the Right Tools — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings shares some of her favorite child-sized kitchen gadgets and where to find them.
The Kitchen Classroom — Laura at Authentic Parenting knows that everything your kids want to learn is at the end of the ladle.
Kids in the Kitchen — Luschka from Diary of a First Child talks about the role of the kitchen in family communication and shares fun kitchen activities for the under two.
Our Kitchen is an Unschooling Classroom. — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle explores the many ways her kitchen has become a rich environment for learning.
Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares lots of resources for using Montessori food preparation activities for young children in the kitchen.
My Little Healthy Eater — Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares her research on what is the best first food for babies, and includes a healthy and yummy breakfast recipe.
Two Boys and Papa in the Kitchen: Recipe for Disaster? — MudpieMama shares all about her fears, joys and discoveries when the boys and handsome hubby took over the kitchen.
Food choices, Food treats — Henrietta at Angel Wings and Herb Tea shares her family's relationship with food.
learning to eat — Catherine at learner mummy reflects on little M's first adventures with food.
The Night My 7-Year-Old Made Dinner — Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! shares how her 7-year-old daughter surprised everyone by turning what started as an idea to play restaurant into pulling off making supper for her family.
Cooking With a High-Needs Toddler — Sylvia at MaMammalia describes how Montessori-inspired activities and a bit of acceptance have helped her overcome hurdles in cooking while caring for a "high-needs" child.
Kids in the Kitchen – teaching healthy food choices — Brenna at Almost All The Truth shares her belief in the importance of getting kids into the kitchen using her favorite cookbook for kids to develop healthy food choices now and hopefully into the future.
Make Milk, Not War — Tamara at Tea for Three remembers the daily food fights as she struggled to feed a picky eater.
teaching baby birds about good food. — Sarah at Small Bird on Fire writes about the ways in which her family chooses to gently teach their son how to make wise food decisions.
5 Ways to Enhance Your Baby or Young Toddler's Relationship with Food — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares simple ways to give your child a healthy beginning to her lifelong relationship with food.
Toddler at the Table: 10 Creative Solutions — Moorea at Mamalady shares tips for preventing meal-time power struggles.
How My Child Takes Responsibility During His Mealtime... — Jenny @ I'm a full-time mummy shares how she teaches and encourages her 32 months old son on adopting good manners and responsibilities during his mealtimes...
megan — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings shares six tips for overcoming some of the the difficulties of cooking with multiple young sous chefs, and a recipe they all can agree on!
How BLW has made me a better parent — Zoe at Mummykins shares how baby-led weaning has changed her approach to parenting.
My Budding Chef — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom is no cook but is happy that her daughter has shown an inclination and manages to whip up yummy goodies for their family.
Kids in the Kitchen: An Activity for Every Age — Gaby from Tmuffin describes how she keeps her kids busy in the kitchen, whether they are one week old or two years old.
The Phantastically Mutlipurposed Phyllo — Ana at Pandamoly shares how Phyllo is used to create enticing dishes at home! Anything can be made into a Struedel!
Kitchen Kids — Laura from A Pug in the Kitchen shares her children's most favorite recipe to make, experience and eat.
Independence vs. Connection in the Kitchen: won't you please get yourself your own snack already? — Lisa at Organic Baby Atlanta wishes her daughter would just go make a mess in the kitchen. But her daughter only wants to do it together.
Grandma Rose's Kitchen — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter reminisces about her childhood and dreams of filling her kitchen with people, love, noise, and messes.
Healthy Food Choices for Kids — Jorje offers one way to encourage children to make their own healthy food choices at MommaJorje.com.
Cooking food to thrive rather than survive — Phoebe at Little Tinker Tales is trying to foster a lifetime of good food habits by teaching her children about the importance of avoiding junk, cooking healthy meals, and learning about the whole food process.
Evolution of a self-led eater — Sheila at A Gift Universe shares the story of how her son grew from nursing around the clock to eating everything in sight, without her having to push.
10 Ways Tiny Helps In The Kitchen — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama explores the ways in which her toddler actively participates in kitchen-related activities.
The Complexity of Feeding a Child — Feeding children a healthy diet is no straight-forward task, but Lisa at My World Edenwild shares some general guidelines to help your child thrive.
Lactation Cookies — That Mama Gretchen shares a fun recipe that will benefit both mamas and babies!
The Best Books and Websites to Inspire Kids in the Kitchen — Need inspiration to get your kids in the kitchen? Dionna at Code Name: Mama rounds up some of the best books and websites that can serve as a source for ideas, recipes, and cooking with littles fun.
A 4-year-old's smoothie recipe — Jen at Grow With Graces and her son set out to make a smoothie without the usual ingredients. She let him improvise. See how it turned out.
Independent Food Preparation (My Toddler Can Do That?) — Megan at Montessori Moments shares simple ways for children to prepare their own healthy snacks.
Follow Your Gut — Amy at Anktangle shares her philosophy about intuitive eating, and how she's trying to foster her son's trust in his own inner wisdom when he feels hungry.
A TODDLER-STYLE LUNCH + RECIPE — Manic Mrs. Stone photographs how to have messy fun during lunchtime with a helpful toddler.

Wordless Wednesdays 02 November 2011 Baby's SECOND Halloween!

2011-11-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm going to split this into two parts...

Part I - Boo at the Zoo on Friday 28 October 2011 at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo!

Part II - Passing Out Candy on Monday 31 October 2011 at The Panda Residence!

Do you WW? Did you do anything fun for Halloween? Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

Wordless Wednesdays: 05 October 2011: Big Boy Bath Time!

2011-10-05T08:23:00.004-04:00

[Reminiscent of another Wordless Wednesday post from six months ago, here's a look at how Bath Time has grown!]

Big Boy Bath Tub! (aka The Bath Tub!)

Continue...

Tagging Tuesday: Blog Edition

2011-10-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

On the FaceBook and Twitter, Tuesdays are reserved for tagging. This week, I'll do it as a blog post. Some people have Sunday Surfs, sharing great articles from the last week; I'll include it in my Tagging Tuesday.

Here are some of my favorite posts from my favorite bloggers from this last week (or so)...

Nurturing Nature: Back to Basics This is my friend Meagan, who has a beautiful family, lives on a quaint ever-growing mini-farm (chickens and bees and all!), and is starting out as one of NorthEast Ohio's most recommended Birth Doulas. Last week she cleaned house to create a more pleasant environment for learning; she's been learning herself, too, how to cook; and she's made the decision to work towards becoming a Certified Birth Educator (she has a sure-to-be awesome class going on now in Perry, OH, and more to come if you're interested!)	Photo Credit
Monkey Butt Junction: Return of the Toddler Busy Bags Some really cute ideas from Jenn for "Busy Bags" (with some bonus cool links to other ideas) for toddlers who need their hands and minds occupied! All of these busy bags teach sensory and problem-solving skills and a multi-level so they can be used again and again as your child gets older and more skilled. Cool!	Photo Credit
Peach & Pimento: It's Happening Monica (my very best friend ever) has a couple of wonderful girls, the younger of which is just a pinch younger than Niko. Little Pimento has been hitting those Milestones hard and is on the cusp of initial self-actualization and becoming fully mobile. Exciting times!	Hmmm... No photo available, but I have one from my personal stash I can add later...
Let's Take the Metro: How to Eat Vegetables that You Don't Like Not everyone (read as a lot of people) like to eat their veggies. Amanda has some great tips on how to make vegetables more palatable (or hidden) in some dishes you probably make at home already. From a sly avocado dressing to zucchini latke, she has some great tips on adding some green to your plate in an inconspicuous way!	Photo Credit

So that's it for now. These are some posts I've enjoyed reading over the last week! I hope you like them as much as I have : )

What are some of your favorites from the last week? Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

What is Genital Autonomy?

2011-09-29T07:05:00.000-04:00

I like to occasionally peruse the traffic sources that bring people to my blog. Aside from some humourous searches, most are looking for me by name or searching for some aspect of Natural Parenting (and, as a note, most are from Google searches - YAY Google!).

I had one person visit during this last week searching for, "What is Genital Autonomy?"

I have one post that I wrote earlier this year for Genital Integrity Awareness Week, but I'd like to expound a little and explain what exactly I mean by the phrase "Genital Autonomy."

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Wordless Wednesdays: 14 September 2011: Birthday Party Bliss

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

So... Baby Niko's Birthday Party was a few weeks ago, and I have failed to provide an update. I'm working on a post on how the party went with some fun deets, but in the meantime, here are some pictures from the party. Good times! Party on! Excellent!

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The Essential Art of Play

2011-09-13T00:01:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the September Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting Through Play

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how challenging discipline situations can be met with play. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

Most parents realize that "play" time is integral to a developing child, but why? Playing is an art that every animal engages in and provides opportunities to explore, interact, vent & converse, learn, improvise & create*, and be.

So how does one parent through play? Easy! The same way one parents any other time! Teaching children how to play and take advantage of the nothingness on their schedules should be a priority.

Play certainly does not have to be, nor should be, a rigorous exercise. Nonetheless, lessons, of sorts, can be incorporated into playing so that "nothingness" turns into "somethingness."

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Wordless Wednesdays: 31 August 2011: How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-08-31T13:14:00.000-04:00

[The following are some photos from my garden this year, unretouched and raw!]

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How Messes are Made

2011-08-27T09:02:00.002-04:00

[The following is an instruction course, courtesy of Nikkolo Pikkolo, on the fine art of mess-making. Grab your toddler for a quick lesson!]

*These photos were taken by my sister while watching Niko one Saturday.

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Uma Nova Conquista

2011-08-25T00:45:00.000-04:00

I feel as though some serious stagnation has overcome me.

For me, stagnation often yields wildly infeasible projects that I envision undertaking. Today, I have chosen a more feasible project with realistically attainable results: Learn Portuguese.

Why Portuguese? Have you ever heard Portuguese? It's beautiful. Favorably, it is also a Romantic language, y hay nada mas que me encantar tan un idioma Romantico! I was once fairly fluent in Spanish, still having retained a great amount of that knowledge, albeit I will need a lot of Coca-Cola to remove that rust... I have studied Latin, the basis for the Romantic (get it, Roman...) languages (ie. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French in a small but recognizable way, and many words in my native English). Portuguese and Spanish share many similarities (moreso than any other two of the languages) but will require some tricks of the tongue in blending and lots of memory to differentiate between the similar but oh so different spellings and pronunciations.

For quite some time now, I have been enamoured with The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions recorded by Seu Jorge for the movie The Life Aquatic. He is also featured in the film playing these songs, sultry covers of David Bowie, on an acoustic guitar, cigarette in mouth, beanie capping his beautiful Black Brazilian hair. I swoon! Below is a song from the captivating album, serving as my inspiration to venture into this conquest, which will hopefully prove easier than I have expected and will assist in removing me from this rut. Additionally, the multilingual exposure for Niko will be awesome. Lastly, maybe I'll meet a smokin' hot Brazilian and can impress him with my lingual stylings.

My Inspiration/Minha Inspiração

♥

Sempre em frente, nunca pra trás

♥

What do you do when you are in a rut? Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

Wordless Wednesday 17 August 2011: The Beginning

2011-08-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

Nikola's Birthday is tomorrow... Here are some photos from the beginning...

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Wordless Wednesdays: 10 August 2011 Funny Face

2011-08-10T09:01:00.000-04:00

Niko is prone to make an assortment of funny faces. Here are some of my favorites from the last week or so...

Do you Wordless Wednesday? Link up! Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

Creating with Kids: Singing Together

2011-08-09T00:01:00.011-04:00

Welcome to the August Carnival of Natural Parenting: Creating With Kids
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they make messes and masterpieces with children. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

We are on the cusp of blossoming intelligible language, and I have been working diligently to provide as much vocabulous fodder for my sponge of a son. We read books of all sorts, I tell him stories that are somewhat ad libbed, I talk to him about the haps as we walk and coexist, I encourage conversation to which he happily obliges with babbling coherence, and we sing all of the time. So far, Niko knows how to hold a book and turn pages, pointing to pictures and squealing with delight; he is most responsive to song, though. I'd like to share how we get creative with music in our household, from dancing to creating impromptu paradies and mash-ups of some of my favorite songs (and some of what I think are his...).

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Sanguine Sunday: What I am Grateful for This Week: 01 August to 07 August

2011-08-07T01:22:00.001-04:00

A bunch of other great bloggers do a thankful recap of the week on Saturdays. I always forget, but today I didn't (even though I am a day late and truthfully, Sundays are better for me anyways...). I think I'm going to start doing a weekly (or as often as I can) post in gratitude also.

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I ♥ Breastfeeding: What I Have Learned from One Year of Breastfeeding

2011-08-07T00:20:00.001-04:00

August happens to be the month of my son's birth; if you haven't noticed, the countdown is down to just two small weeks! Fittingly, August is also National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and August 1 through 7 is World Breastfeeding Week. As the week dwindles down and my countdown to one year of breastfeeding slowly ticks away, I thought it fitting to compile a list of what I have learned from breastfeeding my son for one year with another year probable to come (I'm going to let him decide when he'd like to stop, whether it is in a month or another year, it will be his choice).

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Twenty-One Days Remain: The Birthday Planner

2011-07-28T21:34:00.000-04:00

Three weeks. Egads!

I sent out invitations to the Birthday Party last week. I was worried that they would get hung up somewhere in the great USPS, but thankfully I have confirmations that they've made it to most. I ordered post cards from Mixbook.com using a Groupon. I spent $15 for $50 worth of product with the Groupon, and my total bill for 35 invitations and a hardcover photo book was about $25. I spent $40 total, plus $8 for postage from the Post Office (not all used...); not too bad considering how expensive photobooks can be. Note that $20 alone was for shipping...

So what do these professionally printed invitations look like? Totally a-freakin-dorable.

I blurred out our residential information,
but hopefully you can imagine what it would have looked like...

I really enjoyed using Mixbook.com. The site was really easy to use and many options for grabbing photos to use, including pulling them from FaceBook & Picasa (where all of mine came from...). All of the photos in the book are the ones featured in my other photoblog, Life: by Nikola (you can go check them out!)

Here are some of my thoughts on using the custom print invitations...

PROS...
... the invitations look great!
... mailing postcards is like getting a 40% discount on postage!
... customized with theme for party and photos of Niko!
... no writing! (except addresses...)
... high quality product

CONS...
... pricey considering a pack of plain-jane invites can go for as little as $0.50 per pack of 8
... my address and phone number are available for postal workers to peruse on each invite
... I was nervous about them being legit enough to send as postcards (the cards are sold with envelopes... they were the 4x6 flats)
... I look like a chach for taking his First Birthday so seriously.

For real though, the invites look great, I've gotten compliments, and I think it's a really neat way to showcase how your little one has grown. Plus it's a cute keepsake (I have invitations from his Baby Shower, Christening, Christmas Card, etc., all in a scrapbook for him). I would recommend doing something like this if you have a few $$ to spare and the patience to put it together.

In the next edition of party planning: Choosing the Theme!

Birthday Party Tips? Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

Birthday Party Planning: When, Where, with Whom...

2011-07-25T22:41:00.000-04:00

(You may have noticed I am bad at counting sometimes. If not, nevermind.)

Thus continues the countdown to Niko's First Birthday! Twenty four days to go...

Some preliminary thoughts on Birthday Party Planning and some rough ideas of what we're doing lie ahead.

The only birthday parties I have had a hand in planning, really, were my own, and frankly, my mom did all of the hard stuff. I've had some dinner parties for a few friends and managed to host everyone at my house for Niko's Christening last October, but this "Birthday Party" thing is uncharted territory.

First Birthdays, from what I gather, can be kind of... eh... to plan a party for. I saw a poll on BabyCenter. Did you know that more than 10% of families spend over $500 on First Birthday Parties? What?! My budget is basically whatever it costs for food (which given my family, will be a lot). I'm fairly certain we'll be well under $200.

I've decided to have the party at my house. PROS: No crazy charges for renting space; No fighting off at a First-Come-First-Serve park pavilion; Kitchen & Grill readily available, not to mention Refrigerator... CONS: Limited space; Only on-street parking; Only one bathroom downstairs. I think this is the best decision.

I've decided to have the party on a Sunday in the early afternoon. PROS: Weekend; People may eat a little before coming; People won't have anywhere to hurry off to. CONS: Monday follows Sunday... Both of my parents work Saturday, so it was definitely out. Sunday just seems like a much better day to have a family birthday party - more convenient, more of a "family day," less rushed for my family to make it to my mid-suburbia dwelling that is 15 minutes away from any freeway.

I have invited my whole family. My mom's brothers. Their kids, ie. my cousins. My dad's zillion brothers (and one sister!). All of their kids, ie. my cousins. My brother's girlfriend. Some of my besties. I have handed out 30 of my 35 invitations. I don't think anyone's going to miss this party, and I am expected 50+ guests, at least 4 of which are under 2 years old, a few more under 5. Good times. I know that it is suggested that First Birthday parties be small, intimate gatherings, but since Niko has proven time and again to be the champ of being passed around, that piece of advice is being foregone, and we're opting for a bash!

Stay tuned in a few days for invites, decorations, the menu, and more! Thanks for reading!

What are you doing, or did you do, for your child's First Birthday? Tell me about it! Share in the comments or on the FaceBook.

The Countdown has Begun... T -27D

2011-07-22T10:25:00.001-04:00

I meant to start the countdown like... a few days ago, but... eh.

The countdown to Niko's first birthday is officially upon us.

Twenty seven little days remain. (Thirty until his party...)

It's been an amazing year that I've been overjoyed in sharing with this developing nymph-Da-Sein. He's taken strides into the world of developed consciousness; he is becoming evermore aware.

I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect baby - he's adorable (no one ever stops gushing over him), he's smart (he has mastered a few signs and shows basic comprehension in many an area), he's funny (he's a Leo; of course he's a clown!), and he's loving (he hugs and kisses, and they are the best hugs and kisses ever).

Over the next 24 days, I'm going to share some of my party planning strategums, some memories, and lots of pictures! Here's your fair warning!