CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATS! CONGRATULATIONS! 

Congratulations to Gloria Ortega!  She won the drawing for the Octoberr Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.  Gloria took home this Boppy and a basket full of goodies and you can too.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Boppy basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATS! CONGRATULATIONS! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Stacey Barnoskie!  She won the drawing for the September Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.   Stacey took home this Boppy and a basket full of goodies and you can too.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Boppy basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

Tips for Traveling With A Baby

Between the lines, expensive hotels, and even getting lost, traveling can be stressful. As most parents know, adding a baby to the mix definitely does not make anything easier. Fortunately, by following a few tips and tricks, your whole family may be able to relax and have a great time, even with a baby in tow!

1. Pack Strategically

If you just had your first child, gone are the days when you could throw a change of clothes into a small backpack and take off for the weekend. However, just because you need to bring along diapers, snacks and other kiddie supplies doesn’t mean you can’t continue packing light. In fact, since you’ll often be pushing around a stroller or carrying a baby and diaper bag it becomes even more important.

By bringing multi-use items, you can get a lot of bang for your buck out of even a small suit case. For example, a kid’s bath robe can be used as a spare towel, to wrap fragile objects, or even as a blanket on a plane or car ride. Instead of bringing an umbrella, a poncho or rain jacket can be used to wrap bottles that could leak, as a make shift changing station, or of course, as protection in the rain. Each multi-use item you pack replaces a variety of other things you may need. This can free up space for souvenirs and help keep you under the weight limits.

2. Consider Investing in a Baby Travel System

Baby travel systems can combine a car seat and stroller into one. While sometimes more expensive than the individual pieces brought separately, they can be life savers when traveling. Many US airlines allow families to check a stroller and car seat free of charge, so you can often bring the entire system with you for free, and then have your stroller and ready for when you get off the plane. In addition to being far less of a hassle than carrying all the devices separately, if your child falls asleep, you may be able to transfer them from the car seat to the stroller and back without them even waking up.

3. Child Proofing Your Hotel

If there is one thing babies and toddlers like to do, it is explore. While many parents child proof their home, hotel rooms are rarely set up for small children and you may need to take some steps to make it more kid safe.

The first thing to do is simply ask the front desk if they have any childproofing supplies. Some hotels offer electric outlet covers and more, but many do not. For this reason, it is always advisable to bring a roll of duct tape with you when you travel. This can be used to cover electrical outlets, secure buffers to sharp corners on furniture (taping a wash cloth or towel can work) and to secure electrical cords out of reach. Another thing to do is make sure that the doors and windows are secure. If you have a balcony, make sure it is locked, and by using the deadbolt and chain on the hotel door, you can add extra barriers to make an accidental escape harder for your child.

After you have taken care of those issues, you may want to try crawling around the room so you will get a kids’-eye-view of it all. You may notice new things that you missed during your initial sweep, but that your child will quickly find while crawling around.

4. Take a Photo of Your Kid Each Day Before Heading Out

Traveling is full of distractions. From figuring out public transportation systems, to crowded museums, there is often a lot going on. It is many parents’ worst nightmare for their attention to slip for a second and for the child to have disappeared when they look back. However, you can be prepared for the worst by snapping a photo of your kid each day before you head out. This way, if they do get lost, not only will you have an up to date picture, but it will also show the clothes they are wearing that day. This can make it easier to show people what your child looks like at that moment, and if you have it on your phone, you can quickly send it around to friends, family, and authorities in the area.

5. Don’t Get Over Ambitious

When traveling to a new place, there may be dozens of things you want to do, and you may only have a few days to do them. But no matter how well you prepare, a baby may still slow you down with naps, diaper changes, and more. To counter act this, if your child is on a regular nap time, you can try to schedule flights and drives around that time period. Another thing that may help is splurging on accommodations that are right next to where you want to be. For example, if you are having a beach vacation, getting a beach front hotel may allow you to take your kid down to play in the sand without also taking a stroller, diaper bag, etc. If you are visiting a city, a downtown hotel may let you see the sites you want to see, without bring your baby onto crowded rush hour subways. Logistics are often one of the most difficult parts of traveling. If you are going to do it with a baby, try to keep them simple.



Traveling with a baby can certainly be a challenge, but it can also be a fun way to bond with your new family member and expose them to the world. By packing carefully, taking steps to childproof your room, and keeping your plans and expectations in check, your whole family can have a fun and rewarding trip!

Guest Post provided by Ryan 

Superb September!! Reasons to Love Turning 40

It's my BiRtHdAy!!!!  When I was younger, the count down to my birthday, began sometime in August.  And I was very good about reminding anyone who would listen, of exactly how many more days until my birthday.  I even had one year, that I went around singing, "It's my birthday!  Me, me, me! Me, me, me!"  Sounds cute, except I think I was 19....  I don't get as excited anymore.  Maybe, I just don't want to get my hopes up.  Maybe, I am just too tired.  Maybe it's because I turned 40.  I was determined to treat this as just any other day, but my family and friends came through for me and made it wonderful, once again! 

   1.     My husband called and wished me happy birthday this morning.  He often works out of state and I have to admit, that I was a little bummed that he would be in Kansas on my birthday.  It was good to hear his voice, but even better when I found out he would be home tonight.  That is exactly what I wanted for my birthday!!                                                            

Jalapeno cheddar smoked sausage, spicy brown mustard
and cheese

2. My girls, Abbi and Alli made me breakfast in bed.  This plate full of protein proves I am raising them right.  Or maybe they are raising me, as they know how cranky I get when my blood sugar gets low.

3.  My son made me a card all by him self.

4. And my grandmothers sent me some great cards.

 5. My mother in law stopped by in person to bring me a birthday card and a birthday gift.  She did a great job!  Especially since she had already given me a scarf and this gift came with a bag full of cookies.

6. My Mom is taking me out to lunch today for my birthday.  I generally expect a gift on my children's birthdays because I actually did all of the work on the day that they were born, but today I have a different outlook.  Let's not tell Mom about that and just let her spoil me a little bit. Okay?

7.These balloons arrived around 10:00 this morning.  Until that moment, no one realized that this was my 40th birthday. (Probably because I look so young and vivacious.....or maybe because I rarely act my age).  The question is, who sent them??  The card says, "From the gang".  I am personally affiliated with so many gangs, I am not sure who to thank for the card.  My co-workers, my family, my friends, my kiddos......Or is it actually my gang?  They are very cordial ya know, but I can't tell you their name. It goes against initiation rules. Blood in ~ blood out and all that...

8. Today is payday at work!

9. My kiddos all come home today!  There are several Volcko's and a couple of Harper's that have been away too long.  I can't wait to have all my little birdies back in their nests.

10.  Tonight is Homecoming at the school.  My daughter is in the parade and marching during halftime.  How exciting.  And it was so very nice to plan a whole parade and football game just because I turned 40. Thank you Liberators!

11.  The girls at work told me I didn't have to collect blood for hemoglobin tests today.  They know how much I just hate doing hemoglobins.  It's not the blood, it's the tears.  I just really hate hurting people.

12.  My hair looks really good today.

13.  I get to share my birthday month with some really awesome people.  My nephew, two nieces, two of my daughters, my brother, and several of my friends also have September birthdays. Happy birthday, Clayton, Anna, Riley, Sydney, Olivia, Curtis, Ronda, Erin, Karen and all of the rest.

14.  When my Mom came to collect me for lunch, she delivered a beautiful wreath that my sister made.  As you look closer at the wreath you will notice that it is full of suckers and the card says,  "40 sucks".

15.  Mom and Dad also gave me some goodies.  Including a pair of pants, a mushy card and this pretty picture frame.  I can't wait to go home and put pictures in all of my new frames.

16.  All of the well wishes from friends and family through text and Facebook, have been really nice.

 Thank you all for the wonderful birthday, well wishes, gifts, smiles and giggles.

Here's to happy, healthy, and whole~

T

Hear One, Do One, Teach One

Someone once told me the best way to learn something is to remember to "hear one, do one, and teach one".  The more I think about that one simple statement, the more sense it makes.  Now don't get me wrong, I still have LOTS to learn, but thankfully I have lots of kiddos still living at home and they do a great job of teaching me all about life.  As I think about my life's path leading me to this breast feeding business, I realize just how much "hear one, do one, and teach one" has helped me.  Hopefully, this awesome education will help me help you as you travel down your breast feeding path.
    Hear one:
I was raised among a family of breast feeders.  My grandmother's breast fed their babies. And when their daughters became mothers, they taught them to breastfeed their babies.  So I was always around a breastfeeding mother, whether it was an aunt, cousin, or my own mother.  It was not only natural, it was normal. They never tried to hide breastfeeding from me and therefore, I really wasn't that curious. As a child, I don't remember watching anyone breastfeed, because it wasn't that interesting to me.  They were just feeding their baby.  Big deal!  I had acres of fields and creeks to play in and that is exactly where I spent most of my childhood.  
    As I grew older, and decidedly had to pretend to be a grown up, the day came that I became a mother myself.  Following in the footsteps of the mothers before me, I knew I would breastfeed.  There was no choice or decision in it at all.  That's how women feed babies.  That's what our bodies are designed to do.  That's the healthiest choice for baby and I was going to be the perfect mother.  She would grow up to be the most sheltered, cared for baby in the world. (Quit giggling, she was my first.  Now a broken nose, dislocated elbow, chicken pox scars and plenty of tears, bumps and bruises later, I realize perfect mother does not equal good mother).  
     Do one:
 What my babyies taught me about breast feeding could fill volumes, some of it can be found in breastfeeding books all over book stores every where.  Some of it I had to learn myself, and you won't find it in the books, but thankfully I had really great teachers.
What my babies taught me:
Abbi - She was a natural nurser.  She wanted to eat every 3 hours (Not every 4 like the books about putting baby on a schedule had warned me never to veer away from).  My breasts would be larger, harder, and more tender than ever before.  My nipples would crack, and bleed.  And for the first 10 seconds of every nursing session, I would be digging my fingernails into the arm of my chair while I waited for the pain to subside.

Does she look like I starved her?

Alli-  I didn't know what an easy baby was until Allison arrived.  She taught me that some babies want to eat every 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Some babies prefer one breast over the other.  She taught me that a nursing session can only last 7 minutes and baby can get exactly what she needs to be a rollie pollie healthy girl.  She taught me that breasts don't have to crack or bleed while breastfeeding.  She also, taught me about plugged milk ducts.  Whew! that was a lesson I have never forgotten.
Hannah: She taught me how to multitask.  For the first 18 months of Hannah's life she was on my left hip or in my arms 24 hours a day.  Yes, we co-slept; (I know, I know) yes, I had angry aunts and grandmas when Hannah screamed for me the minute I handed her off; yes, my left biceps were noticeably larger than my right. With Hannah it didn't matter how often or how long she nursed because I wasn't allowed to put her down anyway.
Hayden:  He taught me that a boy with a beautiful smile, will always melt your heart.  Even when they are biting.  Even when they are participating in a full on nursing strike.  He also taught me that it is okay to ask questions even if you know it all because you have grown up in a family of breast feeders and nursed four babies of your own.

See....the smile does it every time!

     Teach one:
When Hayden was about 6 months old, I became the Breast Feeding Peer Counselor for the Health Dept.  My job was to interact, support, and encourage breastfeeding women like me. I could take my baby with me and nurse whenever necessary.  How hard could it be?  I had certainly done my share of breastfeeding.  
     Well, I found out quickly, what I did not know.  My kids never taught me about thrush, yeast infections, low milk supply, tongue-tie, blebs, or lactose sensitivities.  They didn't teach me how to use an electric hospital grade pump or how to return to work and continue working.   They didn't teach me how quickly breastfeeding can get you down.  They really took it pretty easy on me and I was successful because although determined to breastfeed, I did not have a lot of obstacles to overcome with my own breastfeeding experience.
     I was left in good hands, though.  Thanks to all of you that have come to me with breastfeeding questions and concerns.  I have learned so much and in my effort to help you, you have taught me so much.  I now feel confident to answer questions or find answers to concerns as my new nursing mamas come to me.  Thank you all for being such great teachers and helping me learn how to help you.

~T

Prize Basket

Hello?  Hello!  Oh there you are.  I bet you guys were wondering if I had just fallen off the face of the Earth.  Nope, still here! I have just been struggling through the chaos and finally got some time to blog.  There, there, sorry I left you alone for so long, but I am here now.

Tina and Raidyn Oldenburg

 So let's start out with a big CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS  going out to Tina Oldenburg!  Whoop! Whoop!  Tina was the August prize winner.  She and Raidyn took home the cooler basket full of goodies and hopefully it will be able to make her outings with her little ones a little more convenient.

If you didn't get in on the August prize basket, don't fret.  September is here and I have another prize basket just waiting to be taken home by some lucky mama.  It's another Boppy Basket filled with a hand pump, Lansinoh cream, receiving blankets, burp cloth, bib, and a few other goodies.  I can't wait to meet you and help you get signed up so stop by the Polk County Health Center today and fill out a drawing ticket.  It's FREE and available to all pregnant and breastfeeding Moms.

You can also call me, text me, email me or click on the button below to get signed up.  I just need your name, address, phone number, due date and email if you have one.  

I can't wait to hear from you!

Good Luck!

How to get it all done when you're a Mom on the run.....

Do you ever feel overwhelmed??  Okay, okay stop laughing.  I knew it was a silly question when I asked it, but I also knew you needed a laugh today.  The truth is from the minute we saw the positive on the pregnancy test, we began to feel overwhelmed.  You may have asked:
 "Am I ready for this?"
"Will I be a good mom?"
"How will we afford a baby?"
"Where will we put the baby?"  
"What will happen to my body?" 
"Will I ever get to spend time with my husband again?"  
     And then a few months later the baby arrives and all of those questions are answered.  If you are like me you probably replaced those questions with new ones like:
"What did I do with all of my spare time before we had the baby?"
"Why is she changing so fast?"
"How many diapers do I have to change today?"
"When was the last time I ate, slept or had a shower?"
"Will I ever get to spend time with my husband again?"
     (Yes, I know I asked the last question twice, but I really like my husband). The truth is after having a baby, time seems to speed up and it becomes harder and harder to feel like you are getting everything done in a day.  You may not have big plans, but going to the grocery store or visiting Grandma, can sometimes take all of the energy you have to spend.  Keeping that in mind, I have decided to help make your life a little easier with this month's prize basket.  I have put together a few things to make those outings not so stressful.  How would you like a "basket" a.k.a cooler filled with ice packs, a hand pump, nursing pads, nursing cream, sunscreen for baby and information about our next infant feeding classes?  I thought you might!
     Stop by the health center and enter our monthly prize drawing today!  Or of course, you can call, text, email me or just click on the contact us button below or the one in the side bar and I will get you signed up.

Good Luck!

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Consultant
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org
417-326-7250 (health center)
417-315-2135 (helpline)

Oops! Sorry Kids...

So, I have some bad news....We will not be having the next infant feeding class, Breastfeeding Barriers.  This class was scheduled to be held on August 22, 2013 at 1:30 pm but I will be out of the office at a breastfeeding conference.  So sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and I do so look forward to meeting with you next time.  The next class is scheduled for September 5th from 9:00 am - 10:00 am.  The class is called "Attention Dad!" and will be full of helpful strategies for Dad and new baby, support from him to mom, and what to expect when everyone comes home from the hospital.  Hope to see you there!


Please feel free to contact me anytime:

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Consultant
417-326-7250
417-315-2135
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

It's not too late.....

Signing up for the monthly prize drawing or registering for the Infant feeding classes just got a little easier.  If you look to the side bar, you will notice two "Contact Us" buttons.  Clicking on them makes it easy to sign up for the next Infant Feeding support group or entering in the monthly prize drawing.  Come join us on August 8th at 9:00 am and learn the difference between real breastfeeding barriers and perceived ones.  You will take away valuable information about how to continue breastfeeding when you might otherwise have given up.  



Also, take advantage of the many opportunities to sign up for our monthly prize drawings.  This month expect another Boppy to be offered as a prize, with goodies for Mom and baby as well.  Please enter as often as you like.  Good Luck!  I look forward to hearing from you all soon.

Keep Calm and Latch on

Breastfeeding Barriers

      Breastfeeding barriers are those things that can stand in the way of successful breastfeeding.  Many times there are real issues that can prevent a mom from breastfeeding such as substance abuse, certain prescribed medications, cancer treatments, and certain illnesses such as herpes simplex virus, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis or Varicella if left untreated.  However, there are times when we think that breastfeeding may not be possible when it actually is perfectly within reach.  Have you ever wondered about those times when breastfeeding doesn't seem like a possibility?  Some mothers who smoke, like to have an occasional drink, or simply cannot give up their caffeine, feel that it would just be too difficult to adjust their lifestyle to be successful at breastfeeding.  



Well girls, it is simply not so!  Many of our perceived barriers are not barriers at all, and in fact sometimes breastfeeding is necessary if your baby is going to be in those environments.     
     

Moms who go back to school are happy to breastfeed! 

Caffeinated Moms are
happy to breastfeed

Moms who return to work are happy to breastfeed.

Join us at the next Infant Feeding Class at the Polk County Health Center as we discuss Breastfeeding Barriers.  Come with questions for our group discussion.  
If you are an old pro at this breastfeeding gig, come with answers, there are many moms in our community who are looking for mentors like you.

Classes on this topic will be held Thursdays:
     August 8th from 9:00 -10:00 am OR
     August 22nd from 1:30 - 2:30 pm

Just click on the Contact us button below to register for the next class by the Wednesday before class so that I can make arrangements for refreshments.  Or you can email, call the help line, call the Polk County Health Center or comment on the blog.

Traci Volcko
Breastfeeding Consultant
417-326-7250
417-315-2135
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org
www.polkcountymilkweeds.blogspot.com

July Prize Basket Drawing

It's not too late to sign up for the July prize basket!  

     This month you could win a Boppy nursing pillow with a basket of goodies tucked into the center of the pillow.  The basket is filled with bibs, onsie, nursing pads, Lansinoh cream, a fluffy blanket and more.  Just click on the link below and fill out your drawing ticket.  Or, if you would rather you can stop by the Polk County Health Center, email me, text me, or call me.



Traci Volcko
Breastfeeding Consultant
Polk County Health Center
1317 West Broadway 
Bolivar, MO 65613

417-326-7250 (center line)
417-315-2135 (breastfeeding helpline)

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

Good Luck!  I will be announcing the winner soon!  Looking forward to hearing from you.

~ Here's to happy, healthy, and whole ~

The Next Infant Feeding Class

Join us on July 25th, 2013 at 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm for the Infant Feeding Class: 3's Company~ Nursing around small children.

Have you ever wondered if it is okay to nurse in front of younger children in the home? Nieces and nephews? While babysitting for a friend? Sometimes after bringing your newest addition home these questions pop up, so join us for Milk and Cookies and we will discuss the pros and cons of this common situation.

Call and register for the next class by Wednesday, July 24th. The next class will be held at the Polk County Health Center on Thursday, July 25th at 1:30 am. Come out and join me for about an hour and help me get started, meet new mommies in the area, while you receive encouragement and support of your breastfeeding efforts. ( I will be your cheerleader)
Or you can sign up by clicking on the contact us button below

Polk County Health Center
1317 West Broadway Street
Bolivar, MO 65613

417-326-7250
417-315-2135

YOLO! (You Only Lactate Often)

Photo courtesy of Jackie Johnson Smith

Did you all see this???!!!!  I am so impressed.  My faith in humanity has been restored.  I can totally see me doing this for some one (just as soon as I see someone breastfeeding some place other than my office or a breast feeding conference)!  Please, please visit the site and read his mom's encouraging story.  
     She and her husband were going out to eat for her birthday.  Though she was a little leery of taking the children to a restaurant downtown, they loaded up the little ones and went out for dinner.  As any of you with several kiddos know, when they get a little restless and bored, they find ways to keep busy.  This mama had her hands full and found a great solution to keep her baby happy.  She breastfed!  She also worried about what others would think or say, but was pleasantly surprised at the end of the night to find out her waitress had paid part of her tab, to say thanks for breastfeeding.  
     I am getting a little excited, but I am pretty sure I felt our culture begin to shift a little.  Did you feel that acceptance of beautiful and natural acts?  Maybe it's just me ~ sometimes I am a little sensitive.  Go check out the thread at Yahoo! shine.  I have embedded a link in the picture above.  Yay Jackie Johnson Smith.  Thank you for breastfeeding!

I Run a Tightly Wound Ship....

The girls making sure Mama is keeping her cool

I Run A Tightly Wound Ship....  

Right now you may be thinking, "What did she say?   I thought the saying is 'They operate a tightly run ship' ".  Well, you are correct, that is how the saying goes, but that is not how my boat floats!!  You see, as much as I would like for everyone to believe that I am this calm, cool, collected, queen bee of a mama, the truth is most of the time I am a mess.  In past blogs I have mentioned how much I adore organization and structure. But without it I get this wide-eyed yet glazed over expression on my face.  I stutter, and frown, and find it hard to think. Sometimes, I dread reaching that frazzled point so much, that I will be reduced to tears at the very thought of the chaos that might ensue.  I am what my husband calls a nervous person.  I tend to fidget....a lot.  When you are this concerned or tightly wound, sometimes the only cure is to get goofy.  Sometimes you just have to let go and realize that if things are not perfect, you can still survive and learn to laugh.  And in my opinion laughter is even better than being organized.
     That being said, I would like to share some pictures of our family being goofy.  Most of these instances are situations that would normally have me nervous and worried about what could go wrong.  But the kids came through for me and helped me end my day with a smile.  Take a look at the funny photos of the potentially stressful situations below:

This picture is of my nephew Tate.  He was so excited to go swimming with his cousins. You all know a day at the pool is so much fun for the kids, but often exhausting for Mom.  The day begins with,"He's splashing me!" and ends with, "I'm hungry... I'm tired... my sunburn hurts...." and you get to hear it all while washing a load of towels.   Pictures like these remind me to smile.

Charlie's Angels recreated for the family Christmas
 dinner at Great Grandmas.

Sometimes it is as simple as bath time before bed.  There are times when the bath time fight takes more strength than I have, but Hayden was in rare form that night and I got this goofy pic.

Finding the perfect pose so you can send out beautiful Christmas pictures, can sometimes take a lot of time and energy.   Now the rule for taking Christmas pictures is: If you give me one good one, you can take as many goofy ones as you need. 

 The first day of school is always bittersweet for this mama.  I love the quiet that comes with the first day of school.  And as you all know, I love the structure and schedule of the day that comes with the first day of school. 
      I always take that first day of school picture. 
      I always cry as the school bus pulls away because I am reminded of how fast they grow up. 
      In this picture Hayden is in kindergarten, Hannah is in second, Alli is in fourth and Abbi is in the sixth.  Just looking at this picture gives me mixed feelings.  Love to see their playful nature ~ hate to see them growing up so fast.

 What happens at the St. Louis Zoo, stays at the St. Louis Zoo..... No, that is not a real cobra that my son is hanging on too, but it still gives me the shivers.  

This trip had me biting my fingernails before we ever left the house. The questions in my head were crazily spinning  around, all the way there.  "It is such a long drive, will it be expensive?  What will we eat?  What if someone follows us around the park? What if we have car trouble? What if someone gets sick? What if there aren't any available rooms at the local motel? What if we get lost?....."

It took a little while for me to relax, but Hayden certainly found the way to get me there.  What a nut!! (The puddle you see behind him came from a nearby waterfall, not from the act that it appears he is committing!) 



 My son and nephews having fun at Grandpa's 60th birthday dinner at church.   If you are ever gonna worry about your kids being on their best behavior, it is at a church dinner around your church family.

Sydney and Olivia trying on glasses at the eye doctors.  Glasses are expensive.  Eye exams are expensive.  I don't like to spend money.   You can probably imagine me wringing my hands and the frown on my face as we stepped into the office.  But turning around and seeing these faces certainly put a new twist in my day.  Aren't they pretty??

Even my husband got in on the goofiness of life.  This picture was taken during a garage sale we were having earlier this Spring.  I was busy worrying about parking, displaying stuff, the money coming out alright, whether it would rain.....and here comes my handsome husband out to help me get organized.  Proudly sporting his peacock pants.  The story on how he acquired these pants is a whole other blog post.  This is not normal attire for my guy, but I think he pulls it off pretty well........  But then he always makes me smile!

The Alpha Parent: Timeline of a Breastfed Baby

I found this fantastic blog post.  It is so easy to read and explains the timeline of the breastfed baby so simply.  I would love for you all to read it.  Please click on the link below and take a look at the good advice in her post about breastfeeding.


The Alpha Parent: Timeline of a Breastfed Baby: All babies reach milestones on their own developmental timeline. A multitude of factors influence the rate of each baby’s individual gr...

It is okay to swear, but only in the living room....

THIS JUST GOT REAL

     This is my Sydney.  She is a sweetheart.  Loves music, family, and much to her fathers dismay, cats.  She rarely has a scowl on her face and most generally you will find her peaceful and smiling. She is the complete and total opposite of this picture. 
      The day we found this shirt, I had taken a couple of my girls shopping, which in and of itself is ironic.  I don't enjoy shopping.  It costs money. And lots of people go shopping...at the same time....at the same places... and sometimes they touch you.  Too close for comfort for me and therefore, I am not a fun person to shop with nor do I intend to do anything to change that.  (People stop inviting you to go if you aren't fun).  I did try to stay on my best behavior and make it a fun experience for the girls, but as you can see by reading the shirt, the devil got the best of me when it came to this purchase.  
     The girls had talked me into going to the mall. (Uggh!!)  We had walked a lot and maneuvered around people and the carnies. (You know, those people who stand in the middle aisles at the mall, trying to get you to try their product and spend 100's of dollars on items you can buy on Amazon for $32.89. ) The girls tell me it's not nice to call them carnies, but then I explain to them that I am old and can do what I want because I don't have to be politically correct anymore.  They still don't understand all of my rules, but have learned to go with it.  Anyway, where were we??  
     So, we duck into this little t-shirt shop and began reading the funny messages across the fronts of them.  We were giggling so much that I almost forgot to hate shopping.  I picked up this t-shirt and showed Sydney who got wide-eyed and in all seriousness, said, "Traci, pleeeaaaseeee let me have this shirt.  It is so funny and it is on sale and I HAVE to see Dad's face when he sees this shirt on me.  Please, please, please I will pay for it myself and I promise to only wear it in the living room!"
     Okay, what????  Sydney then explained to me that she thought that was one of the rules. You should never swear, but if you must swear, you can only do it in the living room.  My other four children had convinced her of this one evening.  They weren't being mean jokesters, they literally believed that this had been an established rule.  The story goes like this....                                                                                                                                           
     One evening while watching the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall (I know it is not the best family movie choice, but I didn't realize it until we were playing the DVD.  I promise, I fast forwarded through the good stuff).  Anyway, if you have seen the movie, you know there is a part where Russell Brandt in his best English accent swears repeatedly and it sounds like he is saying "Boo sh*t, Boo sh*t, Boo sh*t".  This all happened before I could hit fast forward and my kids erupted into a fit of giggles.  Partly, because of my accidental lack of censorship and also because of the awkwardness of swear words exploding from the TV.  Then, my youngest repeated the vulgarity to get a laugh himself.  Oh my, this went the wrong direction in a hurry!  I explained to him that those weren't words that we should say and that it would be okay, but this shouldn't leave the living room.  Ta dah...... a rule is born.
     As you can see by the picture above, we did by the shirt.  Sydney couldn't wait to take her shower and change into her jammies that night (aka the t-shirt and pajama pants).  She came into the living room, laid down on the couch and tried her best not to smile while watching TV with her Dad and I.  Finally, Steve looked over at her to talk, stopped mid sentence and said, "Sydney, what does your shirt say??"  She proudly stood and read the front of the shirt to him and collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggles.  And it was all okay because we were in the living room.