My Domestic Church

My Daily Domestic Clips 07/31/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-30T20:35:00.001-04:00

ROI: Why Chelsea Clinton Is Setting a Bad Example - WSJ.com - Annotated
Excellent advice about paying for a wedding.

A year or so ago Calvin's girlfriend said she thought a back yard BBQ would be a fun wedding. Have I ever mentioned how much I like that girl?

tags: weddings
- 2. Spending a fortune on a wedding is a choice, not a necessity. Chelsea's wedding is likely to cost $2 million to $3 million, says Ms. Roney. But first daughter Jenna Bush managed to hold a somewhat quieter affair for a lot less when she got married two years ago. She invited about 200 guests and held the wedding on her parents' ranch in Texas. It was hardly cheap, but at $100,000, the tab wasn't even in the same ballpark.
- 3. Spend what you can afford. Sure, the Clintons are spending a lot, but they are rich. Their net worth was estimated at $35 million not long ago. Chelsea is their only child. And Bill gets paid about $250,000 a speech. After taxes, that's about $160,000. So he could clear a $3 million tab for Chelsea's big day with 19 speeches. Even at one speech a day, that's three weeks' work. The average family maybe earns $3,000 in three weeks. Yet they spend about $17,500 on a wedding.
- 5. The lifetime cost is off the map. People get angry when I point this out. But if your money earns, say, 4% a year above inflation, every dollar you save at age 20 will grow to about $6 by the time you retire. So that $17,500 will grow to about $100,000. If you're financially secure, maybe it doesn't matter so much. But most middle-class Americans are in a far more precarious situation than they realize. They have saved little, if anything, for their retirement, and they are deeply in debt. (Household debts are about twice what they were a decade ago.) And we've seen what can happen to jobs and wages in a slump. In these circumstances, saving money instead of spending it matters very much.
- 7. How do you cut costs and still have a great wedding? Avoid Saturdays and peak seasons, says Ms. Roney. Avoid fancy venues and big cities. Make it more casual: A lot of the money goes toward those big formal dinners. And invite fewer guests. Five hundred people is going to cost you, even if they're not famous.
Living Gracefully- prayers for Melanie Pritchard - C-section with complications - Annotated

tags: prayer birth childbirth cesarean csection
- UPDATED AT 8:15PM AZ TIME, 7/29/10
  
  Melanie Pritchard, Catholic speaker, Pro-Life Educator, Chastity speaker, and a true woman of God is in critical condition after giving birth to her second child. During labor there were complications and Melanie was rushed into an emergency C-section. During the C-section Melanie’s heart stopped beating. The baby was born and is doing great. But Melanie’s condition is very serious. She has now had surgery on her heart and while she is stable on machines, is not recovering well. They are now transporting her to the …

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Haven't done a blog quiz in a while.

2010-07-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

You are 90% on the ball!

Wow! You can give the Pope a run for his money. Just memorize every saint and you will have nothing left to learn.

Catholic Quiz Bowl
Take More Quizzes

HT - Father V!

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2010-07-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours - Breviary - Free Audio - Bible - Prayer

2010-07-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

Words that stood out for me today in the Office of Readings

Divine Office - Liturgy of the Hours - Breviary - Free Audio - Bible - Prayer: "Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.

He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.

25 things to get done before the new homeschooling school year!

2010-07-27T21:34:00.000-04:00

It is the last week of July!! It seems we just get into the swing of summertime and it's time to start getting ready for fall. But our neighbors and friends aren't the only ones facing the "back to school" phenomenon. Homeschoolers must do it too.

So here are 25 things that I need to get accomplished before we start homeschooling.

1. Wrap up last year's portfolios and buy brand new ones for the 2010/2011 school year.
2. Get our portfolios evaluated next month.
3. Stock up on pencils, pens, paper etc.
4. Get my homeschool blog up to date.
5. Get my notification done to the school district.
6. Sign Sam up for ACT test.
7. Purchase Explore test for Gabe and Noah.
8. Get my own personal morning routine set in stone including exercise and prayer time.
9. Lose 8 pounds. Then can be more gradual working on the rest.
10. Make sure I have all the curriculum I need.
11. Make a book list for Rosie - kindergarten!!
12. Make a plan and book list for Gabe - first year of high school!
13. Get the kids into a writing habit while it's still summer time.
14. Get at least one big field trip done this summer. Maybe Gettysburg?
15. Set some goals for elementary science.
16. Set some goals for Gabe and Noah transitioning into high school science.
17. Work out a piano practice schedule for everyone.
18. Make sure the classroom is clean and organized.
19. Purge unused and unwanted items from class room.
20. Get the laundry room handled.
21. Get the rest of my mom's things put away, given away or pitched.
22. Organize my office and business papers.
23. Give the kitchen one big scrub down before the end of summer. Organize pantry, food stocks and menus.
24. Finish listening to the great talks I downloaded from Cindy Rushton's Online Homeschool Convention.
25. Get Sam's transcript reviewed one more time.

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/28/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-27T20:35:00.001-04:00

She's Working Out but Gaining Weight - MSN Health & Fitness - Weight Loss - Annotated
- Until you are at the point where you are exercising for 60 to 90 minutes per day on most days of the week, be vigilant about calorie control. You may not need to diet, but you should keep a check on whether you overeat so that you don't cancel out the calorie burn of your new exercise regimen.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

july 2010 047 [Flickr]

2010-07-27T08:06:30-07:00

elliemom posted a photo:

july 2010 046 [Flickr]

2010-07-27T08:05:54-07:00

elliemom posted a photo:

july 2010 045 [Flickr]

2010-07-27T08:05:15-07:00

elliemom posted a photo:

july 2010 041 [Flickr]

2010-07-27T08:04:38-07:00

elliemom posted a photo:

july 2010 038 [Flickr]

2010-07-27T08:04:02-07:00

elliemom posted a photo:

Simple Woman

2010-07-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

Outside my window...
just about right temperature wise!
This is how the little Cuyahoga River looked on Sunday.

I am thinking...
how quickly the summer is passing.

The thrill of victory to the agony of defeat...well maybe not THAT dramatic.

Sunday I had a rehearsal with one of the groups I play for. I was sight reading a piece of music and the end went up to a very slow, soft, beautiful high E and I absolutely nailed it. My adrenaline was surging, my heart was pumping, everyone was quiet and the musical director was just standing there pointing at me as if to say, "That's how it's done!" It was really great!! Every musician should get a moment like that!

Reality check the next day when the groom for the wedding I was supposed to play for on September 4 called to fire me. They are getting a string quartet instead.

It is good to remain humble.

I am thankful ...
for my family's good health.

From the learning rooms...
Everyone does math and reading. Izzy, Noah and Rosie and I are reading next set of Melissa Wiley's Little house series. We have two more states to cover this week and some history.And I am pushing Sam hard on American History 2 for CLEP.We are also hitting the War of 1812 pretty hard this week with my other kids

From the kitchen...
I'm trying some recipes from the Campbell's Kitchen for summer recipes!

I am wearing...
Black capris, maroon T-shirt.

I am creating...
Turkey pasta salad! Yum!

I am going...
to continue exercising. Did Complete Aerobics and Weight Training today
I am concentrating on a lot of heavy cardio and abs.

I have been downloading the Divine Office onto my MP3 player(and I'm super impressed with myself that I was able to figure THAT out!) and then Mr. Pete and I can pray the office together. I'm learning to follow the actual prayer book pretty well.

What I have learned though is that if I am going to really get decent and exercise and prayer done in the morning. I am absolutely going to have to get out of bed earlier, which means going to bed earlier. That's the challenge!

I am reading...
A Simple Guide to the Spiritual Life which is a good read by the way.

I am hoping...
to get to Lake Erie next weekend!

I am hearing...
the humm of the air conditioner. Unfortunately the insect buzzing that happens around here during the summer is EXACTLY what I hear in my head most of the time. The bugs just amplify it. It's really annoying.

Around the house...
would it be possible to finish this last pile of stuff from Mom... sigh... Thinking I should blindfold myself and just put everything in a bag and pitch!

A picture I am sharing:

Gabe LOVED that musical birthday card!

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/27/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-26T20:35:00.001-04:00

Opinion: Want to Create a Nation of Savers? Start at Birth - Annotated

tags: finance obama areyousorryyet?
- (July 23) -- Without much fanfare, savings disappeared from the national economy, replaced by rising levels of debt used to finance ever-expanding consumption.
  
  It's an unsustainable path, and one that contributed to the Great Recession we are still struggling to overcome. And while turning us into a nation of savers isn't going to happen overnight, we have to start somewhere.
  
  And a good place to start is where savings habits are formed -- with our children.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Scrutinies: ACTUAL CONTEST: Domestic Church Photo Pool

2010-07-25T23:19:00.000-04:00

Scrutinies: ACTUAL CONTEST: Domestic Church Photo Pool: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

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Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim

2010-07-25T12:23:00.000-04:00

Feast of St. Joachim and St. Ann! Grandparents to Baby Jesus!

Remember your grandparents on the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne!

From Mary Reed Newland's "The Year and Our Children"

St. Anne is the patroness of old clothes dealers, seamstresses, laceworkes, housekeepers, carpenters, turners, cabinetmakers, stablemen, and broommakers, and she is invoked against poverty and to find lost objects. Although the martyrology doesn't say so, she must be the patronness of Grandmothers, and we love her for that because she we could never get along without our grandmothers. The children love to recall that if she was still there when the Christ Child learned to talk, He called her Grandmother. The nicest of her symbols we think is a cradle with the infant Virgin Mary in it.

From the Saint of the Day!

This is the “feast of grandparents.” It reminds grandparents of their responsibility to establish a tone for generations to come: They must make the traditions live and offer them as a promise to little children. But the feast has a message for the younger generation as well. It reminds the young that older people’s greater perspective, depth of experience and appreciation of life’s profound rhythms are all part of a wisdom not to be taken lightly or ignored.

We think the best way to honor the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne is to do something lovely for grandparents. Little girls might dress their best dolls as the tiny Mary this day and lay them in flower bedecked cradles.

Under Her Starry Mantle has done a wonderful job of preparing for the feast day.
My St. Anne links on del.icio.us.

We included grandma in our St. Anne feast days in the past. Last year we entombed her ashes as close to the feast day as we could. This year we will take some flowers to the cemetery and a green ribbon. I also plan to make some red and green cupcakes today.

Scenes from past year's Feast of St. Anne with my mother.

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/25/2010 (p.m.)

2010-07-25T08:32:00.001-04:00

Obama Administration OKs First Tax-Funded Abortions Under Health Care Law - Annotated

tags: obama areyousorryyet? abortion
- -- The Obama administration has officially approved
  the first instance of taxpayer funded abortions under the new national
  government-run health care program. This is the kind of abortion funding
  the pro-life movement warned about when Congress considered the bill.
the u.s. middle class is being wiped out here's the stats to prove it: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance - Annotated
Hope and change?

tags: obama areyousorryyet?
-     83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people.
  •
  61 percent of Americans "always or usually" live paycheck to paycheck,
  which was up from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
  •    66 percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
  •    36 percent of Americans say that they don't contribute anything to retirement savings.
  •    A staggering 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
  •    24 percent of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
  •    Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32 percent increase over 2008.
  •
  Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional
  income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
  •    For the
  first time in U.S. history, banks own a greater share of residential
  housing net worth in the United States than all individual Americans
  put together.
  •    In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's
  paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the
  year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one.
  •    As of 2007, the bottom 80 percent of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
  •
  The bottom 50 percent of income earners in the United States now
  collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

2010-07-24T21:28:00.001-04:00

My Daily Domestic Clips 07/25/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-24T20:37:00.001-04:00

Karl Rove: The Bad News About ObamaCare Keeps Piling Up - WSJ.com - Annotated

tags: obamacare…more obama areyousorryyet? healthcare
- In his brilliant exposition of why sweeping policy changes often have unintended consequences, the late sociologist Robert K. Merton wrote that leaders get things wrong when their "paramount concern with the foreseen immediate consequences excludes the consideration of further or other consequences" of their proposals. This leads policy makers to assert things that are false, wishing them to be true.
  Which brings us to President Obama's many claims about his health-care reform. Take his oft-expressed statement that if you like the coverage you have, you can keep it. That sounds good—but perverse incentives in his new law will cause most Americans to lose their existing insurance.
  This was brought home to me when I asked the CEO of a major restaurant chain about health reform's effect on his company, which now spends $25 million a year on employee health insurance. That will jump to at least $90 million a year once the new law is phased in. It will be cheaper, he told me, for the company to dump its coverage and pay a fine—$2,000 for each full-time worker—and make sure that no part-time employee accidentally worked 31 hours and thereby incurred the fine.
  
  View Full Image
  Associated Press
  This reality is settling in at businesses across America. A Midwestern contractor told me he pays $588,000 for health insurance for 70 employees, contributing up to $8,400 a year for a family's coverage. If he stops providing health insurance, he'll pay $2,000 per employee in fines, and the first 40 employees are exempt from fines altogether.
  It's also dawning on employees that they will lose their coverage. Some will blame management; many more will blame those who wrote this terrible legislation.
- Either Mr. Obama was stunningly blind to these perverse effects when he promised people could keep their coverage, or he felt that admitting his plan would collapse employer-provided health coverage could keep it from passing. Either way—self-deception or deliberate deceit—health reform is going to turn out far differently than was promised. And because more workers will be dumped into subsidized coverage, taxpayers are likely to pay much more than the $1 trillion-plus price tag claimed by ObamaCare advocates for its first 10 years.
Obamacare…more unintended consequences | Radio Vice Online - Annotated

tags: obamacare…more obama areyousorryyet? healthcare
- Today, the cost of providing insurance is about $8500 per employee. And, the employee does not pay any income tax on the value of that insurance. Should AT&T drop their group coverage, and, should they decide to use the savings to increase salaries, each employee would receive approximately $6400 in increased wages. However, unlike insurance benefits, increased wages are taxable. When the Bush tax cuts expire at the beginning of 2011, the lowest income tax bracket will rise from 10% to 15%. So, of the $6400 pay raise you get, approximately $950 will have to be used to pay federal income taxes. This will leave you with approximately $5450 in your pocket to buy insurance. Not only will you not be able to afford the type of coverage AT&T provided without digging further into your own pocket, but, the CBO estimates that by 2016, as a result of Obamacare, the yearly premium for health insurance will rise to approximately $15,000 for a family of four.
  
  Of course, no employer would use the entire “savings” on employee wage increases. So, the picture becomes even bleaker. Once again, this administration is encouraging the wrong behavior. And, as in the past, it’s middle class America that will have to pay for it.
Some insurers stop writing new coverage for kids - Yahoo! Finance - Annotated
more of that hopey changey thing

tags: obama areyousorryyet? healthcare
- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some major health insurance companies will no longer issue certain types of policies for children, an unintended consequence of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law, state officials said Friday.
  Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said several big insurers in his state will stop issuing new policies that cover children individually. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said a couple of local insurers in her state are doing likewise.
  In Florida, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, and Golden Rule -- a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare -- notified the insurance commissioner that they will stop issuing individual policies for children, said Jack McDermott, a spokesman for McCarty.
- The major types of coverage for children -- employer plans and government programs -- are not be affected by the disruption. But a subset of policies -- those that cover children as individuals -- may run into problems. Even so, insurers are not canceling children's coverage already issued, but refusing to write new policies.
  The administration reacted sharply to the pullback. "We're disappointed that a small number of insurance companies are taking this unwarranted and unnecessary step," said Jessica Santillo, a spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services department.
Our national debt would horrify the Founders | Washington Examiner - Annotated

tags: finance
- In the period spanning the final year of George W. Bush's second term in the White House and President Obama's tenure to date, the national debt has exploded from $9.1 trillion to nearly $13.2 trillion, reaching 90 percent of the gross domestic product. On a graph, the direction of the national debt for this period is almost straight up, recalling what fighter pilots mean when they "go vertical" in a dogfight. We are accumulating a debt so massive that our children and grandchildren will still be paying it off decades hence.
- There is no doubt that George Washington, our first president, Alexander Hamilton, our first secretary of the treasury, and Thomas Jefferson, drafter of the Declaration of Independence and our third president, would be horrified by the present financial condition of the federal government. Public debt was anathema for Washington, who in his Farewell Address admonished us to "cherish public credit," noting that "one method of preserving it, is to use it sparingly ... avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt." Washington warned that one generation could spend itself into great debt, then "not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen. ..."

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Gut Check - a review

2010-07-24T10:51:00.000-04:00

"Success in life and business begins by focusing on death."

That is the first sentence in the book Gut Check: Confronting Love, Work and Manhood in Your Twenties. written by Tarek Saab, college graduate, business professional and former contestant on The Apprentice! When I read it I figured that there must be a lot of wisdom in someone so young to have already discovered that key fact of life.

I first heard about this book on Catholic Radio where it was recommended as a great summer read. Considering the title and the fact that I have a 21-year-old son, I thought this might make an appropriate birthday gift for him, but I wanted to read it first.

And I was glad I did. Mr. Saab takes us on a journey from a drunken, rowdy college student (unfortunately at a Catholic College) to lonely albeit prosperous business professional. Through the years from college student to independent business man Saab describes what it was like to be with the crowd, doing the "normal" activities for "kids" his age and yet feeling alone, empty, and unfulfilled, and especially frustrated and confused about his role as a man in relationship to women.

I don't want to give too much away but a few things stood out for me. Despite the lost morality of his college years, Saab does have a some brief spiritual and religious experiences that help to anchor him and at least keep him somewhat in touch with his Catholic faith. A brief encounter and wise words of wisdom for a priest on the campus was life changing.

Saab also writes a list of goals and ideals that he wants to strive for particularly in his spiritual life. The rest of the book is pretty much about losing focus and then coming back to these goals again.

I think anyone in their 20s (or 30s or 40s and perhaps 50s) could see a bit of themselves in Tarek Saab's experiences, but I think the main audience 20-something men may find it particularly inspiring and encouraging. I'll let you know what Calvin thinks of it - if I can get him to read it! (He's getting it for his birthday celebration tomorrow!)

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Highlights from Jul 23, Office of Readings for Friday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

2010-07-23T10:35:00.001-04:00

Words that stood out for me today in the Office of Readings
Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.

He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.

READING Tobit 4:15a. 16a. 18a. 19

Do to no one what you yourself dislike. Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Seek counsel from every wise man. At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.

Jul 23, Office of Readings for Friday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time
My God, do not reject my cry for help, assailed as I am by the wicked

If this had been done by an enemy
I could bear his taunts.
If a rival had risen against me,
I could hide from him.

But it is you, my own companion,
my intimate friend!
How close was the friendship between us.
We walked together in harmony
in the house of God.

Entrust your cares to the Lord
and he will support you.
He will never allow
the just man to stumble.

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7-Quick Takes

2010-07-23T01:00:00.050-04:00

Join Jen and the other Quicktakers over at the Conversion Diary.

1. SLO
is done with chemo and radiation! She looks great and is feeling better all the time. So glad to have this ordeal over with! Congrats SLO! You make breast cancer look easy!!

2. Sunday we will celebrate Calvin and Gabe's birthdays. I got Calvin a AAA membership and I even splurged for the PLUS! It will give me more peace of mind as he works over an hour away and in the winter time the roads can get kind of brutal.

3. I got Gabe a radio, CD, cassette player kind of like this one. Mr. Pete bought me one a few years ago and Gabe kept borrowing. Eventually the lid to the CD player was torn off, the tape door was gone and the antenna bent. So I bought myself another one and wouldn't you know Gabe keeps taking it out of the kitchen! So now he can have his own!!

4. The boys have a gig tonight. They are playing at a local coffee house with another band. I've been looking forward to this all week

5. Elizabeth Foss has an amazing article here.

An excerpt:

Wednesday definitely found me trying to make sense of it all, trying to hear what He was saying clearly. Turns out this wasn't an eight week experiment. It was the unveiling to me of a rule of life.
I need to start the day with prayer. Lots of it. And I need to pray it in the rhythm of the real Church, not the Church that other people represent to me.
I need to exercise every single day. (No, I don't mean when I'm sick, but I could really tell how the lack of routine could upset the apple cart even if I felt fine.)
I need to start the day (after the prayer and exercise start) with a shower, clothing and lipgloss, and then some quiet time with the Bible. I want my children to find me in that room, with a candle lit and the Bible on my lap when they first wake up. I don't want them to find me staring into my laptop.
I need to refrain from internet drama, even a little bit.
I need to limit the phone to times when my children and husband aren't present, so that I can be fully present in my home. And oh boy, I need to be fully present. To them.
I can't eat sugar or flour--not even a taste.

I find myself saying, yes, yes yes! Except to the sugar and flour part - life has to be worth living after all!

6. A young lady (and Catholic grade school graduate) is asking for my help in learning her faith. I ordered a Catholic Answers Bible and am thinking about getting the Prove It Series. I was also thinking about loaning her the Philadelphia Catholic in King James' Court. Any other suggestions?

7. Epiphany moment of the week - I do not connect or correspond well with women who are prone to taking antidepressants. (I don't know about men but it would be interesting to find out.) When I stopped to think about it, just about every unresolved misunderstanding I have had online or in life has involved someone who is taking or has taken antidepressants. Is it a clash of personality types? Brain chemistry reactions? I'm not sure, but it is something to be aware of in the future and act accordingly.

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Girl Power

2010-07-22T22:03:00.002-04:00

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/23/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-22T20:35:00.001-04:00

ICAN Responds to New ACOG Guidelines on VBAC | ICAN Blog - Annotated
Finally! Sanity returns to ACOG!

tags: cesarean VBAC birth childbirth
- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean is a Safe and Reasonable Option for Most Women
  
  Redondo Beach, CA, July 21, 2010 – The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released updated Practice Guidelines for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) today. ACOG states that VBAC is a safe and reasonable option for most women, including some women with multiple previous cesareans, twins and unknown uterine scars. ACOG also states that respect for patient autonomy requires that even if an institution does not offer trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC), a cesarean cannot be forced nor can care be denied if a woman declines a repeat cesarean during labor.
  
  “ACOG’s updated recommendations for VBAC are much more in line with the published medical research and echo what ICAN has stated for years .” says Desirre Andrews, President of ICAN. “The benefits of VBAC cannot be overstated and if ACOG is truly ‘serving as a strong advocate for quality health care for women’ then this is a long overdue action on their part.”
- ICAN hopes ACOG’s new VBAC guidelines will enable women to find the support and evidence-based care that they need and deserve. Every woman must understand the capabilities and limitations of the care provider and facility she chooses. Less restrictive access to VBAC will lead to lower risks to mothers and babies from accumulating cesareans. However, more than a revision of the VBAC Practice Bulletin is required to reverse the over a decade long trend of increasing cesarean rates and decreasing VBAC rates. ICAN challenges ACOG to take an active role in educating both women and practitioners about healthy childbirth practices; practices that not only encourage VBAC but discourage the overuse of primary cesareans.
- In 2009, ICAN contacted over 2800 hospitals in the United States to determine the VBAC policy of every institution that provides maternity services. Of these, roughly 30% had formal policies forbidding VBAC. Another 20% had no doctors on staff willing to accept a patient planning a VBAC. The statements condemning VBAC bans within the revised VBAC Practice Bulletin provide some hope that ACOG will now take an active role in reversing the damage done by previous Practice Bulletins.
speech therapy downloads | mommy speech therapy
A wonderful resource for helping your child with pronunciation issues.

tags: speechtherapy articulation homeschooling

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Happy Birthday Gabriel! Age 15

2010-07-22T16:38:00.002-04:00

Today my beautiful son Gabriel turns 15 years old.

In my journey as a birthing mother, Gabe was my first baby to be born at home. While Calvin's Cesarean birth had been demeaning and emotionally crippling, and Sam's VBAC was healing, Gabe's birth was truly, truly empowering for me.

After experiencing a hospital VBAC to give birth to Sam, I knew that I definitely wanted to go the midwifery route again with my next pregnancy, so I followed one of my favorite nurse midwives to her new practice, about 45 minutes south of my home and started regular prenatal care with her. But while I enjoyed my midwife and knew I was in good hands with her, the costs of my prenatal care became unmanageable. For example, I remember the bill for the simple blood work for my first prenatal visit came to over $500 and since Mr. Pete had just started his own business and we were doing without insurance and a pay check for many weeks, the added expenses were very stressful.

But despite the medical costs, I felt very safe with my nurse midwife and wanted to stay with her practice. That all changed after a conversation with my Kathy, my doula. Apparently although my midwife practiced independently, she was still under the authority of a certain area obstetrician. My experienced doula had worked with this doctor before and she was horrified at some of the things she had seen him do and she was adamant that she didn't want me to give birth anywhere around this doctor. This was one time when someone I knew and respected was being very forceful with me, saying things that I did not want to hear - things that were outside of my experience.

I've had other discussions on this blog where I know that I have said some unpopular and unwelcome things because I knew that they were important to say. Long time readers might recall that it didn't seem to matter how carefully or sensitively things were phrased; most of the time those things weren't well received. I know I didn't receive Kathy's words well at the time. But the more I thought about it, the more it struck me how strongly she felt about staying away from this particular doctor. I would have to say it was almost a repulsion she seemed to feel towards him. Kathy had been with me with Sam's birth and that worked out great. I trusted her and I respected her opinion and knew that she had my best interest at heart. Her opinion mattered to me.

Couple that with the high cost of prenatal care with the midwifery practice and we reluctantly got off hospital VBAC boat and started to look into home birth.

We found a direct-entry midwife who lived about an hour from our home and I started receiving care from her. Visits to her house were always a trip! She had a lot of kids of her own (all born at home and as I recall at least some she delivered herself without a midwife) and was homeschooling them. She gave me the strips to test my own urine and weigh myself and then report back to her. She checked my blood pressure and we mainly spent a lot of time talking over my hopes and fears for this birth. She was so easy going and so confident and that helped calm my fears and doubts.

As with my other births, Gabe was two weeks overdue. At least my third time out I knew to expect that I would not be giving birth on my due date. But at the same time I knew that my body was getting ready for birth albeit slowly. When we were about to start 43 of pregnancy I decided I needed to get things moving. I bought a McDonald's milkshake and I mixed it with castor oil and drank the whole thing down! Then Mr. Pete and little Calvin and little Sam took a nice long walk. While we walked I tried NS (discretely of course) and all of those things together started what I thought was the beginning of labor.

When we got home from our walk that evening, I made my self stay up to try to keep this early labor going. I remember watching Legends of the Fall until I could not keep my eyes open any longer. I went to bed and the next morning my labor truly was going right along.

I remember Kathy, my doula, came over to help me cope with the contractions and the discomfort. Little Calvin kept coming in and out of the house playing with his friends. My friend Mary came over to keep an eye on Calvin and Sam and to keep the neighbor kids out of the house! I remember laboring all morning, getting in and out of the bathtub for relief. During one of those times, my dear friend, mentor, and flute teacher, Anita Exline called me on the phone to see if I had had the baby yet. Mary told her that I was HAVING the baby and Anita was very excited and happy for me. After hanging up she spent the rest of the afternoon writing a piece of music for my baby that was eventually called, "Gabriel's tune." I heard her performed that piece several times in public before her own passing years later.

Eventually Sam, who was only 2 1/2 at the time, got tired and went up to bed for a little nap, and active labor really kicked in. It was so hot and I was so tired and I was so huge!! I was also scared and wondering if I made a mistake by staying at home. But when it came time to push I made up my mind to see it through. I thought that since I spent so much time pushing with Sam's birth that my second vaginal birth would be a lot easier, but it wasn't. I pushed for a good 20 minutes. It wasn't until I got into the squatting position (just like for Sam) that Gabe's head started to crown. I remember Mary ran outside to tell Calvin to stop playing and come in the house because the baby was finally coming! And we all laughed when he answered back in the manner of a 6-year-old who is deep into sandbox play, "just a minute!"

But he did come in and witnessed a few more pushes before Gabe finally came out right in our living room. I was able to grab him first and put him right on my chest. He was beautiful. By the midwife's scale he was almost 11 pounds. He was nice and round and pink! As I cried and the midwife worked on cleaning him up a bit, Calvin started sneaking out of the room and bringing down baby toys for Gabe to play with. By the time we noticed it, the room had a lot of toys in it, even a rocking horse! I think Calvin was a little disheartened to see that his new baby brother couldn't really " do anything yet." When Sam woke up and came downstairs he was surprised to see a baby there. "Whose baby id dat?" And when we told him it was our baby he asked, "Can we keep him?" I have reminded him of that a few times over the years!

Gabe was born around 5 on a Saturday summer afternoon. The sun was shining, kids were playing outside and no one was in a big hurry. When the midwife, her assistant, Kathy and Mary finally left I felt invigorated and anxious to show the world my new son. The exhaustion set in later, but at the time of the birth I felt so powerful! Endorphins are a wonderful thing!

A few weeks later two of my best friends and their spouses came down for Gabe's baptism and we had a wonderful party!
I'd like to close with something I wrote in Gabe's confirmation letter earlier this year:

You know Gabe, you have always been a big guy. When I was pregnant with you the midwife was always amazed at how big you were getting inside of my stomach. And when you came out (with much effort!) you were as big as some 3 month olds! You have stayed ahead of the curve in size for kids your age. I think it is because God has given you a big heart. You are so full of love and joy you needed a big heart to keep it all in and a big body to hold it all. You are my gentle giant.

Happy birthday Gabe. I love you.

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St. Mary Magdalene

2010-07-22T13:18:00.001-04:00

St. Mary Magdalene
Originally uploaded by clarkvr

Father,
your Son first entrusted to Mary Magdalene
the joyful news of his resurrection.
By her prayers and example
may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord
and one day see him in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

Carnival of Homeschooling: Texas Wildflower Edition

2010-07-22T07:21:00.000-04:00

Carnival of Homeschooling: Texas Wildflower Edition: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

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Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T20:58:00.004-04:00

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Penguins at the zoo

2010-07-21T20:57:00.000-04:00

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/22/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-21T20:35:00.001-04:00

New policy aims to cut repeat C-sections - Health - msnbc.com - Annotated
About time!!

tags: childbirth birth cesarean
- WASHINGTON — Most women who've had a C-section, and many who've had two, should be allowed to try labor with their next baby, say new guidelines — a step toward reversing the "once a cesarean, always a cesarean" policies taking root in many hospitals.
  
  Wednesday's announcement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists eases restrictions on who might avoid a repeat C-section, rewriting an old policy that critics have said is partly to blame for many pregnant women being denied the chance.
  
  Fifteen years ago, nearly 3 in 10 women who'd had a prior C-section gave birth vaginally the next time. Today, fewer than 1 in 10 do.
- The new guidelines declare VBAC a safe and appropriate option for most women — now including those carrying twins or who've had two C-sections — and urge that they be given an unbiased look at the pros and cons so they can decide whether to try.
- The main debate with VBAC: That the rigors of labor could cause the scar from the earlier surgery to rupture. There's less than a 1 percent chance of that happening, the ACOG guidelines say. Also, with most recently performed C-sections, that scar is located on a lower part of the uterus that's less stressed by contractions.
  
  Of those who attempt VBAC, between 60 percent and 80 percent will deliver vaginally, the guidelines note. The rest will need a C-section after all, because of stalled labor or other factors. Success if more likely in women who go into labor naturally — although induction doesn't rule out an attempt — and less likely in women who are obese or are carrying large babies, they say.
Gold Coin Dealers Decry New Tax Law - ABC News - Annotated
Big Brother is watching - via the IRS

tags: obama areyousorryyet?
- on to the law that puts gold coin buyers and sellers under closer government scrutiny.
  A stack of coins is shown in this file photo. A new IRS rule that will start in 2012 will require sellers, buyers of gold coins to file IRS paperwork.
  (Florence Delva/Getty Images)
  More Photos
  
  The issue is rising to the fore just as gold coin dealers are attracting attention over sales tactics.
  
  Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will amend the Internal Revenue Code to expand the scope of Form 1099. Currently, 1099 forms are used to track and report the miscellaneous income associated with services rendered by independent contractors or self-employed individuals.

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My Daily Domestic Clips 07/21/2010 (a.m.)

2010-07-20T20:35:00.001-04:00

Key Events & Causes: War of 1812

tags: homeschool highschool middleschool history
SparkNotes: The War of 1812 (1809-1815): Review Test

tags: homeschool highschool middleschool history
Obama: Mr. Incredible - TheHill.com - Annotated
Remember the uproar when Obama said that illegals wouldn't be covered and someone yelled, "you lie!"

Well turns out... he did lie!

tags: currentevents healthcare obama areyousorryyet?
- Moreover, the possible consequences of the bill are making many wake up and take note.
- When critics of the legislation alleged during the debate that the enforcement of its many provisions would vastly increase the power of the IRS and empower tax collectors to go where they had never gone before, administration spokesmen reacted in outrage. The president’s critics, they charged, were not just wrong, but lying to scare people.
- It turns out that the critics were dead right and that if there was any lying going on, they weren’t the guilty ones. In the days since passage, we have learned that the IRS will have to hire literally thousands of new agents, auditors and analysts to make sure everyone required to buy into the program does so and to catch those who violate its many provisions as well as to collect the data that will be required of small businesses to help the government collect new taxes to pay for the scheme
- The result is that small-business owners who were promised they would benefit from the new law are up in arms as they discover that they will in fact be targets of an IRS planning to impose even more regulations on the way they operate.
- The healthcare bill as passed and signed into law prohibits illegals from buying into the so-called healthcare exchanges that will be established under the law and denies even temporary legal immigrants access to Medicaid unless they’ve been here for five years. Hispanic Caucus leaders are now charging that the administration specifically promised to eliminate these and other restrictions and are vowing to hold the president and congressional Democratic leaders to that promise.
- Under the Obama plan, of course, Medicaid has been expanded and something like half of all illegals in the country would qualify if the restrictions written into the law are removed, increasing the costs of a program that is already expected to exceed the estimates publicized by the administration before its passage by tens of billions of dollars.

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