Seasonal Flu and H1N1: To Vaccinate or Not?

On a couple of the email lists I read, people are discussing the flu vaccines. Parents are thinking about seasonal flu, and H1N1 (Swine flu), and whether getting vaccinated is the right course for their families. I can't answer that question- it's a personal decision with a lot of variables involved, and a lot of strong opposing opinions that I feel have merit. However I have been researching facts that can help me make the decision for my family, and I can share what I've learned and the conclusions that I have drawn. Perhaps my words and these statistics will help you as you decide the best course for your own family's health.

As of right now, I do not plan to get the H1N1 vaccine for anyone in the family, nor do I plan on getting the regular flu vaccine. I am open to changing my mind if the situation changes, however. I've been doing research to help me be more informed in my decision. I live in Georgia (USA), where H1N1 is particularly prevalent right now. The situation certainly deserves my thoughtful attention.

A little background: my children are all vaccinated. (Meaning the "normal" required vaccinations for children.) I have altered the vaccination schedule to delay certain vaccines, and to spread the shots out more so that each visit is limited to one triple-vaccine only, or no more than 3 single-vaccine shots. (I feel that this makes for an easier load on the child's immune system at any given time, and also makes it easier for me to watch for and pinpoint adverse side effects, if they occur.) I have opted out of the varicella vaccine for now. I think I'm a little behind on my schedule right now, but in general we've kept up with the vaccinations pretty well. My decisions are based on a combination of my own bias, research, the AAP recommendations, what feels like common sense, and gut instinct. It's not terribly scientific.

The only time I have gotten the flu vaccine for myself or the kids was when there was an infant in the house. Those years, I had myself and the older brother(s) get the thimerosal-free flu vaccine. All other years we've gone without, and only had mild flu one year. I avoid nasal-mist vaccines, as they have a higher rate of adverse side-effects than the injected flu vaccines. Also, I prefer flu vaccines that are free of adjuvants.

Based on my research, no one in our household is on the list of high-priority candidates for the H1N1 vaccine. The kids, being 6, 4 and 2, are arguably "school-age", so they could be considered high priority. However some researchers think that the higher incidence of H1N1 in school-age children has a lot to do with the fact that most of them are in school, where diseases are spread quickly and easily. Kids are germy. I think that makes sense. So as homeschoolers I feel pretty comfortable that we aren't priority number one in needing the H1N1 vaccine. We are all in good health, and none of us has a neurological or an immunological disease (thank goodness), so that's in our favor. (Mortality rates from H1N1 are higher for those individuals.) I'm pretty sure none of us has a bacterial infection (nasty if combined with flu). I hope to maintain good health and hygiene as much as possible. I am more vigilant about everyone taking their vitamins each day, and I plan to check our vitamin D3 and vitamin C intake and add extra if necessary. So far, H1N1 is mostly a mild case of flu for most individuals that contract it. For now, my risk-benefit analysis tips me toward not vaccinating for flu. However if the morbity of the flu this year starts to look really alarming (not just alarmist, which is what we have right now) then I will certainly consider the thimerosal-free flu vaccines. Also, if I fear the supply here will run out early in the season, I may decide to go ahead and vaccinate just in case.

There are some risks from the H1N1 vaccine (as with all vaccines), and specifically there is concern that it could be linked with a neurological disease called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). There was an H1N1 vaccine in the 70s that seems to have caused a higher rate of GBS in vaccinated individuals than in the normal population. Whether the newer H1N1 vaccine carries the same risk remains to be seen, although health officials assure us that the new vaccine will be safer. Either way the risk is small, so if H1N1 proves to be a strong danger than the risk-benefit analysis may still favor the vaccine.

I hope you find this helpful as you make your own decisions. I've looked up a bunch of statistics that have helped me come to these conclusions- I cited my sources but didn't bother to keep actual links, I'm afraid. I'll copy and paste what I have, though it will make this a very long post indeed. One particular statistic I looked for was the average mortality rate of seasonal flu in past years. I started wondering, because I kept hearing news reports about people dying from H1N1, and it sounded really scary. But then it occurred to me that probably lots more people die every year from regular flu, but it's not reported. Sure enough:
"normal" flu yearly averages: From WHO (World Health Organization): "With seasonal flu, we see in the United States over 30 million cases. We see 200,000 hospitalizations and, on average, 36,000 deaths." (During the entire fall and winter flu season.)

By contrast:
H1N1 this year: On August 8, 2009 (most recent confirmed data from CDC I could find), CDC is reporting 477 deaths due to H1N1 in the US.
Of course, that number hasn't even begun to reflect the actual cold and flu season here, so expect a much higher number before this is done. However it's quite small compared to the number of flu-related deaths in the US on a normal year. One thing about all my research on this: it may not have made me fear H1N1 overmuch, but it's taught me to have greater respect for the flu in general.

More statistics:
(CDC reports) In pediatric deaths (36 as of Aug 8) due to H1N1:
67% had at least one high-risk medical condition. Among those with high-risk medical conditions, 92% had neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., developmental delay or cerebral palsy).
43% had a laboratory-confirmed bacterial coinfection (usually a staph infection or strep throat)
52% had received at least 1 dose of the 2008--09 seasonal influenza vaccine
and 61% had received anti-viral treatment

(CBS News reports) More than 80% of the pediatric deaths due to H1N1 in the US so far have been children over 5 yrs old. Almost two-thirds of the children who died with swine flu had epilepsy, cerebral palsy or other neurodevelopmental conditions. In a previous flu season, only a third of pediatric deaths had those conditions.

(CBS News reports) Swine flu has caused more than 1 million illnesses in the United States, the CDC estimates. More than 550 deaths and 8,800 hospitalizations have been reported to date.

(CBS News reports) The risk of death from H1N1, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said, is roughly 1 in 1000 people. She said you should weigh that risk against getting vaccinated, which, however safe the vaccine may be, the risk is never zero. It is possible that swine flu vaccine could cause GBS (Guillian-Barre Syndrome), a brain disorder. She also says that the risk of getting GBS from the H1N1 vaccine is very low -- one in every million vaccinations. (Earlier in the article the rate of GBS infection is stated as 1 case in every 100,000 to 1 million vaccinations.)

(The Rhode Island Dept of Health reports) The majority of H1N1 vaccine will be packaged in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal, a preservative found in some vaccines. . . . because some women are concerned about being exposed to preservatives during pregnancy, a limited supply of preservative-free seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 vaccine will be available for pregnant women and small children.

That's all I have now. I've been saving it as I have time to look things up. Hope it helps!

Enlightenment

Throbbing, pounding din of pain, ache so intense it seems to radiate from my head in an unholy halo of suffering. It started innocently enough, just an annoyance of a headache, nothing more- until the depth and intensity built upon itself the edifice of affliction known to me as "migraine". A true, full-blown migraine headache is a trippy experience (not that I'd be able to compare, of course) in pain, a place where loud noises explode before my eyes in visual fireworks, my stomach churns with nausea and any sudden movement I make can just about do me in entirely. Movement leaves me reeling. Normal headache medications are barely effective, if at all- today I never noticed the least difference after taking some. It was homeopathic silicea, and lying still in a warm bed with a cold washcloth over my eyes, that finally tamed the beast. (Plus some candied ginger for the nausea.) It took a couple hours of being very still (thank goodness for Babyman's nap time), but by dinnertime I was up and functional once again.

The night is only sweeter now for all the torment of the afternoon. After the pain, I am so grateful for the peace of this evening. My quiet music mingles with the chirrup and peep of the frogs and night insects, cool air drifts through my kitchen window, little else but the clack of my keyboard meets my ears. The boys sleep deeply, sprawled in little boy abandon across the rumpled covers of my bed. I am not bothered by what mess I see around me- I will tidy some of it, and the rest will patiently wait for tomorrow. Now is taken, now is full, now is a rich study in senses, a meditation, a time for awareness and wonder and gratitude.

Why do we need contrast to bring out the highlights? What is it about our human awareness that so consistently forgets our blessings, until suffering carves our experience into high relief? Is this then the goal of an enlightened existence: to live in a place of meditative, golden appreciation, to be able to bask in the glow of beauty and gratitude without needing darkness to make them apparent? Or does that smack of hubris, to imagine such a thing could be possible? For without dark, there is no light. They are so intertwined, so interdependent, that one shall never exist without the other. The trick then, is to find the beauty in both. We do not find enlightenment through seeking light. It is beauty we must see. Pause now, quiet your mind for just a moment, and find beauty. It is there. Relish it. Appreciate it. Be grateful for it. It is a blessing. Practice this often. You needn't journey for enlightenment. It is all around you.

There is no "seek". Only "see".

Moontime

This post may be, by nature, a TMI sort of endeavor. (Too Much Information). If it is, feel free to duck out and come back another day for our regularly scheduled programming.

See, I'm on my moontime right now, and it has sparked some menstrual musings. This is largely because I am still adjusting to the current nature of my periods, which came back to me quite different than they'd been before my last child. I'm pretty sure this is due to my IUD, which I knew would likely cause heavier periods and increased cramping. My moontime had always been pretty easy to deal with- no more than 4 or 5 days of light flow, very few cramps and seldom any hint of hormonal mood swings. It never slowed me down. When they returned after Babyman, it was a completely different experience- no fewer than 5 days of heavy flow, plus 2 to 4 days of lighter flow, very strong cramping, pain in my lower back, all preceded by depression and headaches. It has certainly required a bit of getting used to. (I warned you about TMI!)

Despite the wonderful arrival of Spring outside, and everything I am caught up in that needs my attention, I have found myself staring into the dishwater, listening to the boys argue, and wishing quite fervently that I was part of a culture that subscribed to the practice of a red tent, moon lodge, or similar haven for menstruating women.

(I feel a need to note here, that I have not yet had the chance to enjoy reading The Red Tent, nor do I actually know very much at all about moon lodges and such. I think I will be reading up on them! For the sake of this post, I see a red tent or a moon lodge as a place apart from the rest of the community where women had to stay during their moontime, in the sole company of other women also menstruating. Childbirth with all of its mysteries was also relegated to the red tent, attended by the doulas and midwives of the community.)

Back when I enjoyed such light, convenient little periods, I didn't really understand this idea of a red tent or moon lodge. It seemed demeaning, to be shut away from society just because it was your body's time to bleed. I saw it as an expression of a society's disgust and distrust of women and menstruation.

Now, I see it quite differently. My moontime is not so easily ignored, anymore. It steps right up, takes hold of my body, and bends me to its will. "Do not pretend I am not here!" she says, "You stop what you are doing and you listen to me! I am powerful, do you see? Do you feel the moon's pull on your body? Do you feel your own power? You stop that other stuff now, and listen to the moon instead." I wish for a retreat from my other responsibilities, a separate place where I could curl up in bed to read, where I could write, where I could think and talk with other women. A place to focus on myself and my body. A place to meditate. I see now, that a red tent or moon lodge was probably just this sort of needed retreat. It served a great purpose for the women of the community- far from being demeaning, the whole idea is empowering! A place to embrace your moontime, to care for it, even to revel in it! A true retreat.

I can dream, anyway. ;)




* * *

As a sort of aside, my musings on the idea of a red tent have led me to some different thoughts- just as I used to see the red tent as demeaning to women, might it also be possible that I am misinterpreting other cultural practices with regard to women? I'm not sure if I am yet ready to accept the practice of a mandatory burka (for instance), but perhaps I need to keep a more open mind about some things that strike me initially as overly patriarchal or distrustful of women. I guess, for me, the difference would lie in choice. . . what happens if a woman wishes to go against the cultural norm?

Hmm. . .

My Turn

I've caught it.
~sigh~

Whose turn is it this time?

Just want to poke my head in here to say I'm sorry I'm too busy to post- this weekend was taken with dental visits and visits to my Grandmother's and on top of that Babyman got sick (all over me) Saturday night and is still quite miserable. A miserable baby is a time-consuming, exhausting thing. And considering how yucky this continues to be, I must say that if I am never vomited upon again for the rest of my life, it will be too soon. Ick.

Thank heavens for big brothers who are old enough to put their own movie in the DVD player and help themselves to yogurt, applesauce, crackers and bananas- because I don't know how they would have had dinner tonight, otherwise. And I am also grateful for laptops and wireless, which have allowed me to pop on here for a quick word. Also thank you to Billy, who supervised some outside time for the older boys this morning while he cleaned his car, so I could tend the baby, which means that older brother are not now bouncing off the walls with pent-up energy. (whew.) Oh, and beautiful open-window weather, that's a blessing too. I'll just keep thinking of things I am grateful for, for awhile.

My poor, poor babyman.

This sick thing just doesn't seem to end!

Chicken Soup for Healing

Littleman is feeling much better, thank you! Unfortunately, yesterday Billy was laid low with a flu- really wiped out- and this morning Mr. Sweetcheeks threw up as well. Sigh. I am in full battle regalia, fending the viruses off with everything in my arsenal. In honor of this, I decided to go ahead and offer this post I've been working on- I'd intended to include lots of lovely photos of the cooking process, but that will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, I hope this is helpful to anyone else trying to be healthy in clod/flu season!

Spring is on the way. Spring is on the way. Spring is on the way. Spring. . .

~ ~ ~

Since we're in the thick of cold/flu season around here, I thought it might be a good time to talk chicken soup. Now, most of us have heard of treating the common cold with a nice, steaming bowl of chicken soup. It's an abiding tradition that dates at least as far back as 12th-century physician Moses Maimonides (according to this Google Answers thread I found, anyway), and cultures all over the world each have their own version of the healing broth. Certainly it's important to ingest plenty of fluids when we're sick with a cold or flu, and chicken soup has the added benefit of nutrition. Warm, steamy fluids can comfort us, help clear our nasal passages, and soothe a sore throat. So from this perspective, obviously chicken soup is a terrific thing to reach for when you're feeling under the weather. However many doctors would insist that this is as much truth as you will find to chicken soup's legendary reputation as a healing food.

I beg to differ. My experience has been that a good, homemade chicken stock makes soups with noticeable healing properties. It really does seem to lessen the severity and duration of colds and flu as it comforts and relieves symptoms. And increasingly, there are scientists and physicians who are finding evidence to support this idea. One study suggests that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties, thus helping relieve stuffy heads and swollen throats. Another found that chicken soup limits the body's neutrophils, thus limiting production of mucus. There's more information in the above linked article, and also here in an Associated Content article. I won't go into a great deal of detail on that- suffice it to say that when my family's feeling a bit sniffly, it's time to pick up a whole organic chicken at the grocery store.

Now, I have a go-to recipe for medicinal chicken stock that I like to use. I modify it as needed, depending on what I have on hand (and on how much time I want to take). Done "right", my homemade chicken soup takes 2 - 3 days to prepare. Wait, wait! It's very easy- and most of that time the stock minds itself quite happily. I picked up the original stock recipe from Nourishing Traditions, a cookbook I inherited from my mom's kitchen. I've changed a couple things, and expect it will evolve further as I learn more about nutrition and my family's tastes.



Kit's Healing Chicken Stock

- one whole chicken, preferably including the gizzards
- about 4 quarts cold filtered water (plus more later)
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2-4 whole garlic cloves (or more, depending on your tolerance for garlic)
- (optional) 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- a couple carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley

* Fill a large stock pot with the water, add the vinegar and vegetables (except the parsley).
* Pull the little package of giblets (the heart, liver and gizzard) from inside the carcass cavity. Go ahead and dump those in. I know, I know, eww. This is optional- toss them if you want, but they are high in vitamin A, iron, vitamin B12, and zinc, and they add flavor to your stock. You can fish them out and toss them later if you want.
* Trim the fat glands off the chicken carcass, and discard. I like to pull off most of the skin, too. Then drop that chicken into the stock pot, and bring it all to a boil.
* Skim off the scum that rises to the top, discard.
* Lower heat, and simmer for at least 5 hours. I Simmer mine over medium heat 4 to 6 hours, then reduce the heat to low and leave it overnight. I add more water as necessary.
OOOH, it smells good!

* Bring it back to a boil in the morning, and add the parsley before turning off the stove and letting it cool a bit.
* Using a slotted spoon, start fishing everything out, and separate it- keep the chicken meat and discard the bones and other stuff. This is the only part of this recipe that's a bit of a pain- I find it to be quite tedious sorting.
* Once everything is fished out, you may wish to strain the broth. You can use cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer. I don't usually bother.
* Place the broth in the fridge overnight. Save the chicken for making the soup later.

* Take the broth out and remove the chicken fat that's now congealed on top. Some people save it; I always toss mine.
* Voila! There's your healing chicken stock. Now, it's time to make some soup!

~ ~ ~

I don't use a recipe for the chicken soup- it's always a little of this and a little of that, tasting and adjusting as I go along. Start by heating some of the healing chicken broth mixed with water- I do roughly half of each. I usually chop up carrots, onions and potatoes (maybe a sweet potato) to throw in there, sometimes I do rice or noodles, always garlic, sometimes kernel corn or other vegetables, and some of the reserved chicken meat of course. Salt and pepper- preferably a shake of cayenne to help clear the sinuses. More fresh parsley. Almost anything can go in there- you get the idea. Simmer until the veggies and/or rice or noodles are cooked, and serve right away. Yummy, yummy and oh so soothing!

Hopefully you don't need to treat a cold or flu, but if you do then may this recipe be of healing service to you!

RANT about my pediatrician's office

I apologize for the lengthy absence- I have been busy, we went out of town for a wedding, we've been spring cleaning, went to a puppet show, lost my wallet, had to drive a ways to retrieve it, had (*gasp!*) another fun date with Billy, and most recently, have been nursing Littleman through another vomiting spell.

Littleman will occasionally, out of the blue, get violently ill and empty his stomach completely. From there it's hours with waves of nausea, dry heaving and vomiting what little liquid his poor innards can muster. He can't keep anything down. I've developed a standard response that's a combination of rest, a homeopathic remedy and lots of diluted gatorade, allowed in tiny sips every 5 - 10 minutes to begin with, gradually increasing the amount by teaspoons until it seems safe to offer a saltine cracker. This usually does the trick, sometimes so well that he might get sick early in the morning and be completely better by dinnertime!

This time has been longer, and the nausea was NOT receding. I was starting to really worry about hydration- he got sick around 6 AM yesterday, and still couldn't keep any liquids down this morning. My gatorade trick wasn't working this time. He was asking for fruit smoothie and milk, which I knew weren't things he was "supposed" to have, but I finally decided it was worth a try at least. The smoothie stayed down long enough that he probably got some benefit before it reappeared, which was good- but still not great. When I told him just to sip milk and water, things improved. I still thought I should call the pediatrician's office though, just to consult and to be sure the episode was noted on his chart.

Warning: here follows a rant, which was unleashed when I started a comment on Foolery's Free-Association Friday post. I didn't realize it was in me, till I started free-associating. Perhaps I ought to purge my sub-conscious more often. ;)

That was one uber-annoying phone call, in which the phone nurse stopped just short of telling me that I am an INCOMPETENT mother because I have allowed my nauseous, vomiting son to drink a little MILK, since that's what he wanted, and thank heavens it's WORKING- get that, WORKING- when no amount of diluted gatorade has done the trick for the last 28 HOURS. . . but no, I should chuck my intuition and experience out the window because the all-holy bleeping PHONE NURSE says milk should NEVER be offered to a child whose been vomiting, no matter how much or how pitifully they beg for it, therefore I should immediately switch back to diluted gatorade and bring him to the office if he's not better by TOMORROW. (~pant, pant~) Never mind the fact that ignoring the condescending DEAR has resulted in a son who can now walk about and eat chicken soup and crackers without puking all over the place. (knock on wood) She also seemed nearly CERTAIN that this is all just another stomach bug (there's at least a couple of them making the rounds right now) and that I can't possibly know what I am talking about when I tell her I am nearly certain it is NOT. Because, what the hell do I know? She's had a whole five minutes to think about this, and I'M only his MOM!

I'm getting really sick of the phone nurses at this practice making me feel like they are the only people on the planet with the right answers, and any unconventional, traditional, natural or intuitive steps I take are nothing short of DANGEROUS. I love my pediatrician, but the phone nurses make me glad we're not having any more children. I am tired of dealing with them. You should have heard the nurses when I revealed that I use breast milk to treat a stuffy nose! (It WORKS.) They got the pediatrician to call me back, they were so very CONCERNED. She told me it couldn't hurt, and to go ahead and do it if I thought it was working for us. You'd think the nurses could give me SOME credit, considering we're almost never there except for good, healthy checkups. I am on my THIRD child, after all! I've figured out a thing or two by now. I'm sorely tempted to lie to them, omitting any natural tactics I use for my children's health and pretending that I only ever do what they say. I can tell my pediatrician- she might raise her eyebrows occasionally, or ask questions, but she uses her brain and never dismisses me out of hand. I suspect she thinks some of my methods are overzealous or strange but ultimately harmless, and she chooses not to pass judgment as long as it won't hurt anything. I like her. I'm glad I can be honest with her, because I WANT to know if there's a sound medical argument against something I want to try, or if her conventional treatment might be adversely impacted by a natural remedy. Open communication with healthcare providers is very important to me.

Oh and never mind the fact that, according to the nurse this morning, there are only TWO of Littleman's vomiting episodes noted in his chart. Excuse me, but DAMMIT! I made a point of calling every time and SPECIFICALLY asking them to note it on his chart. I can't believe I trusted them to do this and did not keep track of it myself somewhere. Live and learn. I'll be talking to my pediatrician about that.

Sigh. Ranting over. Now if only I can get Littleman to eat some more soup.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Have you heard about mercury in high fructose corn syrup?
This is something I heard about recently- there was an article in the Washington Post that was posted on a homeschool list I read. Apparently it's now being circulated in email as well, because my sister in law recently wrote me:

"Hey, Kit, I see that [name removed] forwarded this same article to you also. I wasn't able to read the whole thing because it trailed off into a ....................., and I could not find some link or something to open up to read the rest of it, but I assume you can, cuz yer a cumm-puter wizerd. But you always verify things on some sight, that I forgot the name of, so I have 2 questions. Are they full of sh*t? Does High fructose corn syrup have mercury? Also, I have heard opposing arguments about high fructose corn syrup being the reason all of america is getting fat as sh*t, basically, the other side is saying it's a lie, because it's made from corn, and corn can't be bad for you. But what about the "High fructose" part? What's that about? Is there some kind of sugar released when corn is processed a certain way that makes it fattening?"
* * *

(Disclaimer: I'm no computer wizard; I simply use them more than sis-in-law does, and have the patience to fiddle with them until I figure out what I need to know. So I've become a go-to source of computer information for some family members. Basically, I'm just a proficient googler.) :)

I spent a little time on my response, and thought some others might find it informative as well. It's a combination of quick online research and my own bias, so take it for what it's worth. Here's what I wrote:

* * *
Hey!
Yes, it is true. The article was indeed published in the Washington Post, and in several other publications as well. Here's the Washington Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html
US News and World Report:
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/01/28/mercury-found-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html
FOX News:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484088,00.html
And a webmd.com article which lists the foods that were found to contain mercury:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090127/mercury-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup
From the webmd article:

"Overall, we found detectable mercury in 17 of 55 samples, or around 31%," write Wallinga and colleagues.

Here is the list of those products:

* Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars
* Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce
* Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
* Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
* Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
* Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe
* Market Pantry Grape Jelly
* Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
* Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
* Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
* Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing
* Coca-Cola Classic: no mercury found on a second test
* Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
* Minute Maid Berry Punch
* Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink
* Nesquik Chocolate Milk
* Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk

Wallinga and colleagues caution that their list was "just a snapshot in time; we only tested one sample of each product. That clearly is not sufficient grounds to give definitive advice to consumers."


Apparently the reason (they think) that high fructose corn syrup can contain mercury is that some of the plants processing it use contaminated caustic soda. Caustic soda is needed to produce high fructose corn syrup, and some plants that produce caustic soda use "outdated" mercury cell technology to do so- which can produce caustic soda that's been contaminated with mercury.


Of course, high fructose corn syrup has been under fire for some time now, as many nutritionists and scientists have begun to point to it as a significant contribution to the high levels of obesity in the US. I learned more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup

To sum up, they're not sure precisely why there's a correlation, though there are some ideas. One theory is that due to the nature of the sugars in high fructose corn syrup, it's digestion is not regulated by the body as well as the digestion of natural sugars. Another idea links high fructose corn syrup to harmful carbonyl compounds (which are elevated in people with diabetes). Another study shows that large quantities of fructose can cause insulin resistance- another link to diabetes. Yet another study suggested that a diet rich in fat and high fructose corn syrup can suppress the sensation of fullness (leading to overeating), and cause leptin-resistance- which can lead to weight gain.

Yes, the corn industry refutes all these studies for various reasons. High fructose corn syrup is simply a sweetener made of lots of fructose ("fruit sugar") and a little sucrose (like cane sugar). Sounds pretty benign, doesn't it? However it's not a naturally occurring sweetener, and studies do seem to indicate that for whatever reason, it's bad for us. We are apparently just not built to be consuming THAT much fructose. Besides, it's so highly processed (including using at least one GMO ingredient necessary for production) that I view it as highly suspect. (Just as I view artificial sweeteners like splenda.) I try to stick with honey or plain old sugar, and simply limit how much sweet stuff we eat. (I read lots of food labels.) Never trust an ingredient that sounds like a chemical compound.


So, does that answer your questions? :)

Kit

We have your biopsy results back. . .

Wow.
I had an unexpected phone call today.
Actually I expected the call, it was the content that was a surprise.
Let me back up just a bit.

I am a very fair-skinned person. Fair skinned, dark haired and freckled all over. I sunburn easily and almost never tan. I live in the Southern USA, where the summers are hot and the sun is blazing. I grew up around here.

My husband has encouraged me many times to get a preventative check at a dermatologist, just to be sure none of my bazillion little moles and freckles have anything to do with skin cancer. I agreed, but since the only odd mark I could think of was a mole on my ear that appeared sometime in childhood, I figured if it hadn't killed me yet it wasn't likely to do so anytime soon. So I put the check-up on my mental back burner, until I finally got around to it last week.

They took a small sample of the odd mole for a biopsy, but didn't spot anything else particularly suspicious. They weren't actually too concerned about the sample either, but it was different enough to warrant a test. So anyhow, today they called to tell me the test results.

"Kit ___?"
"Yes, this is she."
"Hi this is Dr. ___'s office, just calling with your test results."
"Oh, OK!" (expectant pause)
"Could you hold just a moment please?"

That's where I thought, "Uh oh". Because if they have to go get the doctor to tell you the test results, you know they're not going to say that everything's just fine and dandy.

And well, it's not. But it's not that bad either. That wierdo little mole is actually basal cell carcinoma. It's the most common form of skin cancer, and it's usually easy to treat. It's almost never life-threatening. I'll be going back to their office in a week and a half or so to have the rest of the mole removed. Hopefully it doesn't go too deep, because I'd rather not look like someone took a bite out of my ear. ;)

It's an odd thing, to be told you have cancer. Thank heavens it's something small, common and easily treated. But it's still a knock upside one's complacency. As a friend teased (with typical good humor), "you KNOW you're getting old, when things start turning up cancerous!" 31 isn't old of course, but I do feel the differences in my body. We are not young forever, and while that does not bother me (there are aspects of my crone years that I quite look forward to) it's still mournful to feel youth slipping away.

Isn't it funny: no matter how trite or cliche a common wisdom or common experience may be, when you find yourself in the midst of that awakening, it is nevertheless fresh and raw to you?

However even though this shines a spotlight on my body's inexorable march through time, it is juxtaposed with a recent evening of joy, rhythm and dancing. We went to a drum circle in a nearby park, and I danced for hours. It felt SO GOOD! I haven't danced like that in years. I woke the next morning sore and spent in the best way possible- the kind of spent that replaces energy with peacefulness. That evening gives me fresh hope that I can hold onto some of the vigor and joy, the vitality of youth, even as I embark on adulthood. Perhaps it took a funny little mole to remind me how very important it is to cultivate one's own joy and vitality, even in the throes of other responsibilities. It's a small reminder for a small adjustment, but OH! What a difference it makes.

Craptacular

Well, I feel just craptacular.

It's as if someone pumped my sinuses full of glue, and let it set. Add to that my standard lack of sleep with Babyman (the teething wonder), and I am just in top form. Yeah.

However, I thought I'd subject you to a blog post anyway, since I can only neglect this for so long and hope to retain any readership (hi, G!) at all.

Oh, and Olga: I haven't forgotten your stroller question! I'm sorry I've ignored it this long. I intend to do a blog post for you on that. Long story short, the single stroller I can recommend with experience is no longer available. I have a few other things to say on that though, so stay tuned. ;)

Of course, the problem with blogging like this (on the fly, bit by bit in between laundry loads and the dog groomer and poopy diapers and cooking lunch and a broken air conditioner and oh yeah, feeling craptacular) is that I can't focus long enough to come up with anything worthwhile to say. I have found a number of blogs I really enjoy, and they all post much more frequently than I manage. A step up in quantity AND quality. Surely they have as many obligations as I? I wonder how they do it. Whine, whine, sniff. OK I am done with that.

ANYHOW, never mind everything I just typed, and look at this cute baby:

There.


* * *

Oh, and here is a step-by-step illustration of painstaking restoration and reconstruction of a Jan Steen painting. I knew a little bit about art restoration, but this was really interesting to me. Perhaps you might enjoy it, too.

hide and seek, and other sundries

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

hide and seek, and other sundries
Current mood: tired

Billy came home early tonight, and was upstairs playing hide-and-seek with the boys. This involves one person hiding in another room while the other two wait, and then the hider yells "OK!" when he's ready to be found. Well, Sweetcheeks decided to be the hider. I hear Billy saying, "No, wait! Wait- wait until we're not looking, THEN you hide." There's a pause, and then I hear Sweetcheeks: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!" Billy chuckles. "Are you ready?" "OK!" yells Sweetcheeks. I hear Billy and Littleman head for the room where Sweetcheeks is presumably hiding. Billy adds as they enter the room, "And be really quiet so we don't hear where you are."
"OK!" comes the loud reply.
Oh, well.

* * *

This living room floor was clean 3 hours ago. Sigh.

* * *

To update on the Sweetcheeks potty saga, he is doing really, really well with peeing in the potty. Usually, if I forget to make him go, it will be fine- he will take himself to the potty and go when he needs too, without wetting his pants. (Exceptions are usually if we are out and about, and I forget to take him. Then, he's more likely to have an accident. So I still try to be diligent then). He's also been waking dry after a nap or even all night! He still has issues with pooping in the potty, though. I don't know why, but he apparently REALLY doesn't want to poop in the potty. He poops in his underwear every time. It's a real pain. I'm not sure how to solve that aspect, but we are not returning to diapers. So, I guess we'll see.

* * *

Earlier, I was looking forward to getting the kids in bed, and then sipping some wine (I almost spelled that "whine", LOL- I get a lot more of that, let me tell you!) while sitting on the couch and watching my new Harry Potter DVD with Billy. But now I am just too damn tired. Oh, well. I'll watch it at some point. At least we saw it in the theater!

* * *

We are all sick. It's been a head-crud kind of a cold. I thought Sweetcheeks was better, but yesterday he suddenly developed an earache. By evening it was severe. WHY do these things ALWAYS happen when the pediatrician is closed? But I had some natural remedies on hand from our last episode with an ear infection (they're infrequent around here, thank goodness. . . knock on wood. . .) and I started right in with a homeopathic blend and some herbal ear drops. (Plus some tylenol to stop the pain and hence, the screaming. Poor kiddo). Once the tylenol kicked in he felt better. I continued the remedies, and this morning he woke up fine. Hmm. This stuff is great, but THAT great? Maybe it wasn't an ear infection. He wasn't running a fever. In any case, I am very, very glad he is feeling better. I can focus my worry on Babyman, who now has a cough. It's not bad yet (still just in his head), and hopefully won't get any worse. But hearing that cough come from that baby body just curls my toes. I cringe just thinking about it. He's not running a fever, is sleeping and nursing well and seems like his normal self. So for right now, I'm in wait-and-see mode. Hopefully he will improve soon.

* * *

Today's thumbs-up is for my In-laws, who came today to play with the kids and help out a little so I could get a few things done. Yay, Grandma and Grandpa! I am blessed with great in-laws. But since that doesn't really seem to fit in with my usual thumbs-up format, I'll do another- it's a little random, but still great: a website to teach you how to tie knots. Each knot is pictured, the steps are described, and best of all each step is illustrated by video. It's really one of the best knot-tying tutorials I've seen. So, go learn a new skill today!

First doc visit today

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

First doc visit today Current mood: content New babyman had his first doc visit today- the pediatrician at the hospital had recommended I take babyman in right away to have his weight checked, since he'd lost "so much" weight already. Babyman is now back up to 8 lbs, 5 oz (he was 8 lbs, 7 oz at birth) so he is gaining weight like a champ! I know the hospital staff won't know that and probably wouldn't care, but it still feels good- like I am thumbing my nose at them and their narrow ideas of "normal". Chalk one up for good old breastmilk! Anyway, babyman is doing super, and everything looks good. Hooray! :) Of course, I am already getting the inevitable question: how is he sleeping? Well, he so far refuses to sleep in the co-sleeper bassinet at night. Sleeps 5 minutes, then squirms, wakes and cries. I soothe him, put him back down. Repeat ad nauseum. Last night, I decided it just wasn't worth it, so I set him up in bed with us. He slept like an angel for 5 hours!! (I was astonished). So I guess at least for now, I will definitely consider co-sleeping an option. He is getting better about napping in the bassinet, so hopefully it won't be too long before sleeping there is acceptable at night, too. Co-sleeping is sweet, but Billy and I are both physically more comfortable when babyman's in the bassinet. I don't mind giving babyman some more time to make that transition. I am feeling pretty good, as long as I don't overdo things physically. I have even done some laundry! I admit though, taking care of all three boys by myself is a very daunting prospect, right now. (Scary, in fact!) I will put it off as long as I can, so we all have time to settle into things more gradually. I think I want some tea and a snack, now. Let's see if I can put babyman down long enough to do that. :)

Home!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Home! Current mood: pleased Home again, home again, jiggety jig! Yes, we are safely back home! Sweetcheeks is here, and Littleman will join us tomorrow (he didn't want to miss going to some tree-lighting thing with Grandma and Grandpa tonight). The house is pretty much in the same rapidly-abandoned state that we'd left it in on Wednesday. (The poor dogsitter had to enjoy the mess for a few days! Oh well). We are all tired of course, but I'm glad to be out of the hospital. I've learned that if you wish to exclusively breastfeed, it's wise to check out as soon as possible, or else they start to give you a hard time about your baby's (perfectly normal) weight loss, and start pressuring you to supplement with formula. It's happened with every one of my boys, and every time they were perfectly fine in no time- it just takes a little while for the milk to come in and really get things going. I told the lactation consultant about it today and she rolled her eyes. I swear, I am really getting to dislike hospitals A LOT. Anyway, on a brighter note- (I know you are on pins and needles for this, LOL)- Drumroll please. . . His name is Julian Martin. Yes, I know "Martin" wasn't even on my list of possible names, but it's a family name (my maternal great-grandparents') and both Billy and I like it. It was either that or Julian Sage, which I also love. But we decided on Martin. So it's settled now! And he's home, and we're so glad to be done with most of that. That's it for now! :)

Update- all's well.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Update- all’s well. Current mood: sore Well, Billy and I got to bed shortly after 4 am last night. Our friends were fantastic, playing with the boys, putting them to bed and staying until we got home. THANK YOU!! By the time Billy and I were heading for the hospital, I was reasonably sure (after a discussion with my midwife) that my pain was due to wrenching/straining the round ligament on my left side. However they really wanted to have me undergo some tests, just to be sure the baby was OK. So, in we went. I was hooked up to monitors, gave blood for a test, had vitals taken, etc. None of that took too long. The nurse let us know that if the blood test showed everything was OK, we could go on home. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. . . This always seems to happen at the hospital, where there's some point that you really start to wonder if they forgot about you, or if they're not telling you everything you need to know. . . Finally I learned from the other nurse that the blood test takes 4 to 6 hours. WELL. Nice of y'all to tell us that to start with! But anyway, the long and short of it is that babyman seems to be fine, I am in pain but it's not serious and it should resolve itself, and we got to come back home so I could sleep. So, all in all that's very good. Now I'm wincing my way around the house, trying to get a few things done before taking Littleman to his gym class. (I didn't even bother with Sweetcheeks' montessori this morning, being that we were all up so late). As a side note, the monitors last night revealed that I was having regular contractions 3 minutes apart. I knew somehow that it wasn't true labor, despite them being so close and regular. I tend to have loads of contractions for days or even weeks before actually going into labor. I was worried that they'd make me stay, and I'd be stuck there for hours and hours, possibly leading to complications (such as them recommending inducement, or who knows what else). Luckily however, they checked my cervix and since it was not any more dilated or effaced since my morning (routine) appointment, they deemed the contractions "false labor" and decided I was just a bit dehydrated. So I got an IV of fluids, and they didn't worry about it after that. Thank goodness. And, sure enough, I've had very few contractions so far today. He's not QUITE ready. (But obviously, we are getting close). * * * Oh, and the boys had a BLAST trick-or-treating! What on Earth am I going to do with all this CANDY?? Littleman was a ghost- I'd made him a white poncho-like costume, with the word "BOO!" on the front, and I painted his face white with dark circles around his eyes. He was pleased, and looked very cute. Sweetcheeks refused to have anything to do with the dog costume I'd thought he'd wear, and said he was a pirate. We didn't have suitable clothes for that, but we tied a scarf on his head like a pirate and figured that would do. Even the scarf was rejected after a few minutes though, so Sweetcheeks went trick-or-treating as a 2 year old. Which, of course, was fine. Everyone had fun.

ouch

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

ouch Current mood: grumpy Blessed Samhain/ Happy Halloween! I am sitting in my living room, goofing off on the computer and periodically getting up to distribute candy. I have an herbal heat pack on the underside of my belly, because I am in pain. No, I'm not in active labor. I'm not sure what this is, and if it doesn't go away I am supposed to go to the hospital to have it checked out. In the meantime, it's alright when I am still, but as soon as I move about much or walk/climb stairs, it HURTS. I had planned to be doing dishes and laundry right now (and boy does this house need it) but there's just no way. Sigh. At least it's not an immediate emergency, so Billy was able to take the boys out trick-or-treating on the neighborhood hayride. Some friends of ours are along too, so if we need a sitter for awhile that should work out. I really wish this would just calm down, though, so we didn't have to fool with all that. The good thing is that new little babyman has been moving about normally all along, so he's probably just fine. But this is not a good pain- something is wrong. The only question is, is it a minor wrong or an important one? I wouldn't feel so grumpy about it if I were in labor. That's supposed to happen; it's normal pain with a concrete, positive outcome. And I expect it sometime soon. This however, is a worry and an inconvenience. Grr, grump grump. So, I sit here, thinking of a million things that need doing, but not wanting to aggravate the pain further. So I sit. Guess I'll just keep you posted!

bad cold and book 7

Friday, July 20, 2007

bad cold and book 7 Current mood: sick Well, L..ttleman has a sore throat/cough/cold. .. thought the buck would stop there, but now Sweetcheeks has a low grade fever, and .. have a sore throat. .. feel awful. .. hope th..s passes qu..ckly. Usually when .. have a cold, .. can st..ll funct..on pretty darn well- .. am not the type to cl..mb ..nto bed and feel sorry for myself. But today, .. just wanted to pull the covers over my head and wa..t for someone to br..ng me ch..cken soup. (..mposs..ble, of course! .. have 2 s..ck cranky boys to care for!) ..t's not that there are any part..cular symptoms that .. can recogn..ze as be..ng worse than usual- ..f ..t weren't for the fat..gue th..s would be a p..ece of cake. But for some reason, .. FEEL s..ck. .. am t..red, worn out and feel..ng m..serable. S..gh. L..ke .. sa..d, .. hope th..s passes qu..ckly. On the plus s..de, .. am soak..ng ..n a warm, fragrant bath as .. type. Ah, the joys of w..reless. Electra keeps show..ng up to l..ck me dry. :P S..lly beast..e. Wow, ..n mere m..nutes the ..ntrep..d Harry Potter fans l..n..ng up at bookstores w..ll beg..n rece..v..ng cop..es of book 7. The last ..nstallment! Know..ng .. would not be able to snag a copy ..n person, .. pre-ordered m..ne onl..ne. .. d..dn't pay extra for overn..ght sh..pp..ng, so .. w..ll have to wa..t a few more days. ..t's OK- .. can wa..t, ..f a b..t ..mpat..ently! My bath ..s start..ng to get cold. My one-handed typ..ng ..s gett..ng ted..ous, too. ;) T..me for bed, and may my rest..ng body beat th..s bug! PS- Where d..d all the ..'s go?? You know, the letter between h and j?

Littleman's good morning, an idea, and ramblings

Friday, June 15, 2007

Littleman's good morning, an idea, and ramblings Current mood: pleased Mmmmm. Fresh peach. Juicy. Littleman had one of his vomiting episodes yesterday. Odd. We have quite the system down pat by now, and the poor kid has really learned the drill. The good news is that by dinnertime, he was just about back to normal- and this morning, he was feeling great. So great, as a matter of fact, that he woke up before anyone else, took off his diaper and put it away, and commenced to cleaning his room. (!) He tidied it all up, and then started on the nursery (Sweetcheeks' room). He talked to Sweetcheeks and they stayed in there quite happily for a good while before Billy and I had to get up. THEN, while Billy was getting ready Littleman looked around our room and stated, "This is a mess in here!" (He's quite right). So he picked up some clothes and reorganized my shoes. So what if his "cleaning" in my room probably just made it a bit less organized than it had been? He was genuinely trying. Of course, we thanked him and made sure to let him know what a good help he was this morning. I mean, WOW. I wasn't sure what to think. He completed his "wow" morning by choosing to practice handwriting (on a tablet for such purpose, that he can trace the letters and numbers) and by cleaning the glass of the storm door. (what he could reach, anyway). I am sorry to say, the day went downhill from there- but with such an unusually great start, over all we had a very good day indeed. Both boys were good while we ran errands and they did a beautiful job making Father's Day cards. I think I am going to make an illustrated poster that shows jobs Littleman can do around the house. Things like feeding the dogs, cleaning the glass doors, watering his plant, dusting and sweeping the downstairs (he has his own small broom), and putting away toys and books. If I remember to get our camera fixed soon (oh yeah, need to do that) I can take digital pics of Simon doing each job, then print the pics from my computer to attach to the poster. I'll write each job by it's picture, and put the poster where Littleman can see it each morning at breakfast. Perhaps it will remind him of constructive things he can do to be a helpful part of the family. I don't think I'll do the traditional thing of awarding stickers when he does a job- I'll see if he's interested in doing them just to be helpful. At this age, I think he really might. I'd prefer him being self-motivated in that way, rather than have him working for external "rewards". We'll see how that flies. Hmm, come to think of it I might make a smaller poster that shows Sweetcheeks picking up toys, and dusting or some such. Nothing like copycat activity and a little sibling rivalry to make something look even more fun. ;) Plus, there's no harm in starting good habits early, right? Good grief. 45 views of my blog in the past week, with only one new post from me? Y'all make me feel so loved!! :) Went to the kids consignment store today. Struck out on good-fitting shoes (as always) but scored two pairs of shorts and several darling shirts for the boys, all in perfect condition, most of it name brand. Grand total? Less than $25! I love consignment shops. The pregnancy is progressing nicely so far. I have had at least one contraction already, but it was isolated. I think that's within the realm of normal, though for me it's bad news. Luckily I haven't felt any further activity. I HAVE felt baby moving, though. Too cool. I am trying very hard to stay well-hydrated, and have done pretty well with that so far. (It helps prevent contractions and is all-around good for Mom and baby). I am feeling pretty good actually, though my hips and legs are already aching (especially first thing in the morning). I am really looking forward to July 3rd, when we have the ultrasound appointment and hope to learn the baby's sex. Think pink for us! (LOL). Anyhow that's all going well. Well I think I have rambled enough. . . I need to go to bed! 'Night!

Sick kid, and snow trip.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Sick kid, and snow trip. Current mood: sympathetic Poor Littleman is sick again- can't keep anything down. He's miserable, and though he's a real little trooper about it, of course taking care of him is taking most of my attention these past couple days. Thank goodness Billy was available to help us all through the worst of it! Today I've been juggling Littleman's needs and a trip to the pediatrician with also taking care of Sweetcheeks and trying to keep up with the rapidly replensihing piles of dirty laundry. Of course the worst initial vomit of this episode happened in the car, on a road trip, with sub-freezing temperatures outside. Not pretty. I guess this is the stuff that family reminiscences are made of! One day, we will tell this tale so we can shake our heads and laugh at our past misfortunes. Right now however, I just feel very, very sympathetic of my Littleman. Before all this began however, we were all having a blast in the snow. Yes, my fellow Atlantans, snow! We finally decided that we will probably not get enough snow this year for Billy to take his boys sledding. (Looking like we may get no snow at all) Billy has been wanting to play in the snow with them every year, and it never quite works out. So this year, we decided we would go where the snow is- without flying, anyway. We went to Beech Mtn. NC, because the Chamber of Commerce there manufactures snow on a hill set aside for sledding. (That way, if we missed out on natural snow, we'd still get to sled). We had beautiful weather and frigid temperatures, and the boys all had a great time. (Littleman definitely enjoyed it more than Sweetcheeks though- a couple of sleds, and Sweetcheeks was ready to go warm up!) Anyway I am very tired, and still have a few things to do before bed. I hope we all sleep well tonight. I will try to blog again soon, so I can write something more interesting. :)

Post-novel funk

Monday, January 29, 2007

Post-novel funk Current mood: melancholy Brrr. I'm chilly. Whenever I finish a good book, particularly a long one, I am left with a disoriented, slightly depressed feeling. It doesn't matter if it's probably the fourth time I've read it (as is the case now, with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), nor if there are more books in the series just waiting for me to read them (as soon as I get my copy of Half Bood Prince back from Aaron). The transition back to normal life never seems to come easily for me. Compounding the problem now is the weather- when it gets cold, all I want to do is snuggle under warm blankets and read all day anyway. I'm glad I did a fair amount of that back when I had the time, because I'm not sure when I'll get the chance again. I read fast, but with constant interruption and having to stop to do necessary things, the book took me a few days to get through. Consequently, I have a lot of minor disaster areas left over from two little boys engaged in unsupervised play. Luckily they avoided anything too disasterous. But I still have my work cut out for me! My return key sticks. I don't remember ever spilling anything on my keyboard. It's very irritating. Geez, I feel unmotivated. By the way, I don't usually like short story collections nearly as much as novels, but I just read a very cool book of short stories by Neil Gaiman. It's called Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders. Any of you that like dark fantasy or unusual, inventive twists will probably enjoy these stories. And I admit it was much easier to finish a book of short stories in my limited, broken time than it is to complete a novel. The stories didn't leave me in a funk, either. Maybe I'll look for more short stories to read. Any suggestions? Oh, PS- my back is better. It hurt for awhile, but I only needed the brace a few days really, and the pain is almost all gone. So I recommend a brace, Tiger Balm, gentle yoga and accepting pain for a little while.

A few ramblings, and thank you.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

A few ramblings, and thank you. Current mood: uncomfortable Ow. I did something to my back yesterday. Something unpleasant. And sadly, whatever I did was embarrasingly mundane to have caused this much trouble- I don't even remember precisely what it was but it involved folding laundry. I wasn't even lifting anything heavy. Now, I have to hold my breath and grit my teeth to bend down, climb stairs or lift one of the boys. It hurts. I probably shouldn't be lifting the boys, but what is one to do? My Mom loaned me a back brace today, which does help. The climbing stairs is no longer a big deal, and I can kneel down and get back up again without much pain, if I am careful. I only lift the boys if I have to, and I do so very carefully indeed. I am really hoping this is a simple strain, or a pinched nerve or something and that it will fade soon. Otherwise I will have to see someone about it. Time will tell. * * * Why does a toddler's experimentation with cause and effect have to involve "What happens if I peg my brother in the head with this wooden train"? (Or block, or pirate, etc. . .) Poor Littleman has a scab on his head right now, courtesy of Sweetcheeks' well developed pitching arm. There's no malice here (yet), but it's not fun. At least they spend a lot more time playing nicely together than they spend damaging each other. It's been very nice for me for them to enjoy each others' company so much. The house is semi-clean, even! Amazing how much I can get done when they don't need me every waking second. * * * So much for this winter storm. Not that I expected a whole lot, being that the ground is as warm as it is. You can't expect snow and ice to stick around here, unless it's been good and cold for a week at least. Whereas we have had warmer-than-spring temperatures for longer than that. One of Littleman's signature questions is "What happened ___?" (Apply this to any situation, regardless of sense. . . it's just his way of asking you to explain). A couple weeks ago or so I said something about winter being so different than I remember them being when I was a kid here. Littleman pipes up, "What happened the winter?" Well, I don't have all the answers to that question, but I have a theory, shared by many, and it isn't pretty. What will this world be like when my boys are nearly grown? Will change be slow, or will they see a dramatic shift in their lifetimes? Will people wake up in time to slow things down at all? * * * I think my back has made me a little sour. Actually, I am not in a bad mood. But the boys are getting very impatient with me, and I am constantly being interrupted now. I feel like rambling on at you, my loyal readers, but I have a feeling that tending to my children would be much more productive at this point. ;) I'd like to get them in bed in time for me to have a nice long hot soak. * * * PS- this isn't much for many bloggers, but I was surprised to note my little journal here has surpassed 1,100 hits. Wow. Who are you folks, anyway? LOL, whoever you are, thank you because you keep me writing. (however infrequently, sometimes). OK. I've heard "Why" about 60 times in quick succesion. I think someone wants my attention. :)