In keeping with my pledge earlier this month to spend as much quality time with my children as possible, I am going to capitalize on the beautiful weather we’re having today in my fine city and  spend the entire day outside. I even packed a picnic. I can’t wait!

Looking for things to do to celebrate Earth Day? Check out these online resources. Each is packed with cool ideas and info:

 earthday network

kaboose’s earthday page

The nature conservancy

planetpals

and these:

arbor day foundation

trees are good

organic gardening

Happy Earth Day to you all!

This morning, my son was so excited that it was his turn to bring snack to his pre-school class that I wanted to make something special. With his help, I put this recipe together quickly. These tasty little muffins were ready in no time thanks to a little help from Hodgeson Mill.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon-Flax Crunch Mini Muffins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Dry Ingredients

1 Cup  Hodgeson Mill Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake mix
2 Tbsp almond meal
1 Tbsp milled flax seed
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp turbinado sugar
1/2 very ripe pear, minced

Wet Ingredients

4 oz. container organic apple cinnamon yogurt (I used the one for toddlers with fruit and cereal on bottom)
1 Tbsp flax oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp cool water
3/4 Cup (or enough to make a moist batter) soymilk

Topping

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 -1 /2 Tbsp Milled Flax Seed

Grease or line mini muffin pan cups. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly with wisk. Combine wet ingredients and add to dry. Stir until just combined but don’t over-mix. Place one teaspoonful in each muffin tin cup. Sprinkle topping on each. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest/cool in pan 3 minutes.  Remove muffins from pan and cool completely.  Makes 24.

We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong. ~ Laura Stavoe Harm

It’s April first. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time doing non-parenting activities. I’ve been doing quite a bit of activities for myself. While they are great projects—being on the Rec Board of my Borough; studying for professional certifications; writing for this site; training staff at a local small business—I am discovering that something’s amiss. Although it’s worthwhile work I’ve been doing,  I have to admit that I feel a disconnect happening between my children and me. Not a huge isolating, neglectful disconnect. Rather, a feeling that I miss the great amount of time we usually spend together. And, I can tell they miss it, too.

I’m a stay at home mother which translates into I have alot of plates spinning in the air at one time. And, in my case (and, I don’t think I’m alone here), the spinning plates have begotten more spinning plates. So, this month I’m going to focus on being a mom. An Attentive mom. Flying kites. Playing board games. Mending torn superhero costumes. Baking bread. Singing silly songs. Practicing phonics and mathematical equations. Setting a positive example. Reading new and interesting books together. Taking long springtime walks in the park. Whatever the concept of being an attentive mother might present, well, I’m going to do that.

And, the rest of it may just have to wait until May.

I’ve heard through a few different sources that a local hospital specializing in woman care currently has an epidural rate of 91%. That means that 91% of pregnant, laboring women admitted into the hospital are administered an epidural. And, according to statistical data, this local percentage is right in line with a national trend. 91%. Such a high, almost unbelievable rate makes me question how many of these women actually need it? How many are convinced that there is no other alternative to experiencing labor and coping with the discomfort that ensues?

This brings up the issue of how women experience childbirth pain. Or, more importantly, the issue of how—through the media and other social avenues—culture promotes certain expectations and images of the event of childbirth. And, how these premeditated images effect the experience of labor and delivery of every woman—both emotionally and physically.

Dr. Grantly Dick-Read studied the phenomenon of the Fear-Tension-Pain syndrome. He observed the ways in which the expectations of pain lead to the experience of fear which leads to whole body tension which causes an increase in the experience of pain which leads to an increase of fear and so on. Seem simple? Well, it is, unless you’re the person trapped in this cycle feeling as if there is no way out. Thanks to Dr. Dick-Read, there are many, many ways in which women can become aware of the inaccurate, often negative social attitude and perception of labor, overcome these cultural misconceptions and have a positive, healthy childbirth experience.

Let’s look at a basic model of the fear tension pain cycle.

This fear-tension-pain cycle is a Big issue. It addresses at least two major areas of concern about childbirth:

• how women can be prepared for and supported through childbirth in order to drastically lessen or eliminate the expectation for and experience of pain—not discomfort, but pain at any level
• how can our Health Care Practitioners be better educated and equipped to provide information and support to their patients.

With the information that Dr. Grantly Dick-Read has presented, it may even be possible to change our perpetuated cultural understanding of birth and allow for women to begin to see it as a more peaceful, natural—less frightening—event that requires less pressure to be “brave” and more encouragement to be empowered.

Want to learn more about Dr. Dick Read and his groundbreaking approach? Check back to earthmother.org as we explore the fear-tension-pain cycle and how understanding it can be used toward a positively fearless birth.

Yesterday, my potty-training two year old had a banner day: she went to the bathroom every time she had to go. It was breakthrough not only because she had never made it all day with dry panties, but also she had been showing signs of disinterest. Ah, the ups and downs of potty training!

A couple of weeks ago, my little princess simply stated: “I don’t want to go potty anymore.” As I had been doing for a month or two, I gently offered the option frequently throughout the day. Her reply had grown to a very emphatic, “No.” And, so, I let it go. I stopped asking if she’d like to go use the potty. For a few days, it wasn’t even mentioned. Then, at the beginning of this week, her interest picked back up and she’s been slowly building to this point where she has been able to stay dry all day.

At this point, I am expecting her to continue to progress while still being prepared for the one step forward, two steps back phenomenon. Potty-training is such tricky business. These are a few of my practices that I think have helped her continue to progress with potty training.

• Stay positive. Don’t pressure. Give her space to test out the process without feeling failure or my disappointment when accidents happen—it’s her learning process to own, I’m just there to guide and give support. Let her feel proud when she uses the toilet successfully and then I show my pride, too.
• Give her the space to learn about the difference between using a diaper and using the toilet. Gently talk about going to the bathroom and that “feeling” of needing to go, discuss anatomy and function at her comfort level using words and phrases she can understand.
• Incentives do sometimes work. Some parents use treats (admittedly, I used M&M’s briefly during the turning point with my oldest.) Some parents offer earning toys or outings to the park. I am currently using a very specific incentive tool with my two year old: She loves wearing dresses, and she loves pretending to be a princess. She’s allowed to wear a “princess dress” when she goes on the potty. I tell her in a positive voice that princesses use the potty, and that seems to be inspiring for her.
• Understand that even when she shows no interest, the wheels in her brain are still processing it all. I really do believe that even when she refuses to go, it’s part of her process of learning to want to go.
• A couple of tools I’ve used:
  Time to Pee by Mo Willems. She loves this book and can recite it verbatim. It’s silly, gentle and fun.
  Once Upon a Potty for girls DVD. I’ve put this on once-in-a-while since she was about 18 months old just to help introduce some of the basic concepts of anatomy and using the potty. Its age-appropriate, and she really loves it. She has begun requesting it from time to time.