Kids at Work with Mom

My older boys were at Camp TBEI this week. Since we were short sitters for David, he came to work with me. I brought David to work with me when he was a baby. My kids at work can be distracting. I am glad I have the option to do bring him but I am also glad I don't have to do this often.

First, David was proud to show off how big he is. Terry is my medical assistant and was great at keeping up with him.

David was getting into this doctor stuff. He went back into the office and closed the door to do a surprise. When he came out he was wearing my stethoscope and the lab coat that I never wear. He was really proud of himself for coming up with this get-up. It was also his idea to put on pants and a work shirt before we left the house so he would look like Dad.

He wanted to come in to all my exam rooms with me. Just what I needed. Most of my patients were good sports that day and found him amusing (Thank you patients!). Only this little one tried running from him. They are too cute! Now he's trying to pretend he is Dad and do all the paper work. (Go for it, David!)

He came to work with me another day and he was over it. He brought a DVD and stayed quiet in the back. This week will seem boring not having him with me.
Have you ever brought your kids to work?

What I do with my Blendtec!

What I made today from my produce that I picked up this past Thursday:

The "Liquid" Brownie a Chocolate smoothie recipe ( I adapted it from here)

3 Heaping Tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
3 Tablespoons Hemp seed (learn more here)
1 Avocado
3 medium bananas ( I used some from my harvest)
2 T agave
3 cups ice and fill with water to the 32 ounce mark
1 tsp Cinnamon

John, Scott, and William LIKED this!

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I made Salsa and Chips from Green Smoothie Girl Video. I put in a wee bit of green pepper because I really don't like pepper and it was just the right amount. John and Scott liked this!

I used my Blendtec twice today which is fairly typical.

My squash and broccoli went into a not-as-healthy recipe. This is an old recipe that my mother would make and I used to eat the whole casserole, well almost. I probably made it healthier this past Thursday than I did years ago, yet I definitely felt heavy eating it and probably won't make it for myself for a long time. David loved this one and he called it picnic food. Not sure how he came up with that name, but is sentimental and appropriate because it was a July 4th picnic casserole in the old days.
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Mom's Zucchini Casserole

4-5 cups cooked Zucchini ( I lightly steamed squash and broccoli)
3 eggs
1 cup mayo ( I have not had mayo in 2 years and do not miss it).
1 cup Parmesan ( I used Romano because I had it)
2 T parsley ( I had dried parsley from a previous share)
1 large onion
(and I put crushed garlic in)
1/3 stick butter ( I did not use this)
1/2 bread crumbs (I save crumbs from my whole grain bread left overs)

I greased pan with olive oil, mixed the first 6 ingredients, I did not dot with butter, topped with bread crumbs and a little more Romano. Baked at 350 degrees, ~ 45 minutes.

I am loving all the fresh summer fruit! Especially after this heavy casserole.


We got: yellow squash, broccoli, purple colossal garlic, green kale, leeks, red leaf lettuce, green pepper, sweet potato, roma tomato, carrots, fennel, cantaloupe, banana, green seedless grapes, kiwi and yellow nectarine. Fruit share: gold kiwi, mini red seedless grapes and blueberry. Extras corn and nectarines.

Keeping up with my Blog

Just curious, what's your favorite way to keep up with my blog?
Feed
Reader
Email
Check the blog URL
facebook
networked blogs
dashboard
wellsphere
blog roll

any other way that I missed?

My favorite way to keep up with other blogs is google reader. That's where I check for updates.

Scott on Horseback

Scott had the wonderful opportunity to get a riding lesson from Lauren again

in her fancy new dressage arena.He really enjoyed it. He took in everything she said and you can see

he became confident at the reins without her standing right there.He's ready to move to the next level!

"Meeting God There"

I love the detailed thoughts this aspiring midwife shares on her new blog after reading my birth stories in Permission to Mother.

Toddler Friendly Pool Party Pics

Using Up My Produce...

I admit I wasn't to excited when I saw that Bok Choy was on our produce list for like the 6th time in a row (I still had some left from previous share). And dandelions (I had plenty here). And pepper (the peppers were way too hot last time for even John). And celery(still had lots left from last week). And garlic (I love garlic, but it's like feast or famine with garlic. Now its feast.).

While I was over at Gerrie's to pick up, a new member suggested I slice up the pepper and put it in a glass jar for sandwiches. Turns out this weeks pepper isn't too hot and John likes it in the vinegar.

I took a small portion of the dandelion and I used GreenSmoothieGirls recipe for dehydrated Kale chips (with the dandy to replace Kale) and served it to John, Jen, Lauren and Gail. They admitted to liking it. I used the rest of the batch to make a salad a new member shared with a red wine vinegar dressing. For me it was still too bitter, but I ate it all 'cause it's good for me.

I used the Bok Choy in a black beans and rice recipe that Gerrie uploaded to our files ( Iposted it below). I used the Choy in place of all the cabbage. The recipe is surprisingly delicious. BUT if I get more Bok Choy (or dandy) I will have to have a pool party and pawn the bok choy on to YOU in some kind of dish!

Garlic is going in to everything I make especially the hummus and the celery is being used to eat that hummus.

The other things we go this share are: broccoli, carrots, romaine, jumbo vidalia onion, sweet potato, yellow squash, white grapefruit, yellow nectarine, white nectarine, blueberry, mint, and yellow squash. Fruit shares: Pineapple(2), grapes, kiwi

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Last share we got: carrots, cucumber, green kale, romaine lettuce, sweet potato, baby bok choy, yellow wax pepper, red jumbo onion, cilantro, colossal garlic, yellow nectarine, yellow peach, banana, gold kiwi, celery and cauliflower. Fruit Share: green kiwi, golden pineapple and red globe grapes. Corn as an extra.

This Cilantro pesto recipe is my favorite pesto recipe. All the nuts in the recipe can be purchased at Publix and the Agar (seaweed) is optional, but I toss some flakes in. I served it over the spaghetti squash from a previous share. I am really enjoying cilantro.

I also LOVE the Raw Kale Toss Jane has on her website.

The Peppers are Hot. I am going to put mine in a blender with water and spray them in my garden as a natural repellent.

All the pineapple tops are being planted in my garden.

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BLACK BEAN & RICE SALAD
Sue Spitler, “1001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes”
4 servings, about 2 cups each

1 cup rice, cooked
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 ½ cups sliced bok choy
1 ½ cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup cubed cucumber, peeled & seeded
2 green onions, green & white parts, sliced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced celery
1 medium apple, cored & cubed
2 tablespoons dark raisins
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste


Combine rice, beans, vegetables, apple, raisins and cilantro in large bowl; combine well. Combine vinegar, oil & mustard; drizzle over salad and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

How Did I Get Involved with LLL?

Heather, from Top Hat, wrote a guest blog post about what is La Leche League. I am inspired to share how I first heard about LLL.

How did I get involved? I didn't start attending meetings till Scott was born. It took me a while to get there because of my work schedule once I heard what LLL was.


The first leader I originally met (Loire) was a offering private swim lessons for William. I didn't know she was a leader or had anything to do with breastfeeding. He was about 9 months old at the time. I didn't know what to expect as far as breastfeeding around her pool. I was modest and worried about my exposure in front of the unknown in new surroundings. I irrationally had packed bottles with expressed milk and another with water. I don't remember what I wore, but I do remember being concerned about that also. I must of looked like such a newb!

I didn't know anything about the swim instructor and she didn't know me. I saw her swim lessons posted at Gold's Gym. To my surprise she was a LLL leader. What a small world! All my fear about nursing at the pool was unfounded fear. She must have been looking at me wondering how I would feed him. I don't remember the details if I needed to nursed or not. Getting comfortable nursing in public was a process for me. It took a while and some circumstances I anticipated remained more challenging than others even after 9 months and this was one of them.


Upon finding out I was breastfeeding, the leader called me monthly to invite me to meetings. (This was before either of us had a computer.) I worked 10 hour shifts and the evening meetings were not possible to get to.


After Scott's birth, I had some maternity leave and the opportunity to attend. Since my office hours left me free in the evenings, I was able to continue to attend in the evening. I found out how much I needed the meetings especially with tandem nursing, I really needed the support. FYI- Anne was a brand new leader!

With William as a baby, I could have benefited from more information and confidence building had I attended sooner. Anyhow I was really fascinated with all that their was to learn at a LLL meeting as a mother and as a professional and as you know I continued to attend on a regular basis for years.

I encourage you to attend at least one meeting and especially while you were pregnant if there is still time for that. I wonder if I had not signed up for swim lessons, when and how I would have found the local LLL?

AAMI Childbirth Reading Room Discussion

These are the questions from the moderator for the first week of discussion of Permission to Mother. Everyone is invited to join in or just lurk and learn. You do not have to be a student of AAMI to join. It's free. The messages are available 24/7. Please join in here.

What are your thoughts on the high school journal entry on page 7? What can you personally do to make this experience not be the norm for young women?

For Denise....What went thought your mind when you caught the baby bare handed on page 13?

On pages 16 and 17 Denise talks about Jayne and her birth plan and how she educated and helped her to see another way to birth. Is there a Jayne in your life? How has she challenged you in your parenting/birthing? Are you a Jayne to another woman?

During Denise's first labor she makes the comment that she was "As helpless as any hospital patient in labor". Have you experienced the exposure, helplessness, and trauma Denise talks about on pages 24 and 25? How did you or deal with it? How can you use your experience to help others?

Have you seen the dramatic changes in Denise from the beginning of the book up through page 31? In the beginning she "knew" things weren't right with what she saw and experienced as birth and as the book continues you can see her confidence and strength building preparing her to be an accomplice in the next sections homebirth. Have you experienced this type of change? How have you been accepted by others who have known you through your changes?

Why do you suppose Denise feared epidurals more than labor? Why is this not the normal? What can you do about this?

Have you forgotten any of your birth experiences? Page 31

Have you used a doula with any of your births? How do you feel this helped or hindered you during labor and birth?

What are your thoughts about Bernadette's 11th birth? Do you feel intrigued by it being a celebrations for the whole family and close friends or do you feel it should be more private with few people knowing about it? Why or why not?

When you get to the end of your rope... hang on...

I thought going out on the boat last night to watch fireworks was great. I thought we'd have to travel down the river with much boat traffic and anchor early to get a view. As usual my family was unorganized and last minute. It's the first time we had the boat out in the dark. We only had to go about a mile to watch a private fire works celebration at a nearby park. No crowds. Perfect view. No camera. Today we had the boat out again. This time we took our crew to the ropes to swing.

This is David. My baby David did this!

John is the captain. I am the photographer. I stay safe behind the camera. Steve, our general contractor, was the boy scout leader here. And this here is his son on the swing.

Now here is Scott in a few pictures. Scott and David really like their fearless leader.

Nice, close up of our guests. Steve did some big swinging off the longer rope.

I never knew how involved renovating gets. When I purchased the house if I had any idea, I may have run. But, I also had no idea how much fun we would have in the river.