While browsing a local group on Facebook the other day, I came upon a post about childbirth and parenting. As always, you do have the negative with the positive and this group seems to turn negative every single time a 'Mommy' asks a question. In this Facebook group, a woman decided to voice her opinion about the 'right' way to go through delivery, recovery, and even parenting.
I have never had a cesarean section, nor would I EVER want one. Some people seem to think it is the easy way out. I'm not sure where they came up with that. They must have never seen a person go through one before. When I was pregnant with NL, I almost had to have a section because he was in the breech position. He turned just in the nick of time. Emergencies happen though and sometimes a section is the ONLY way to save Mommy and baby. That decision really is between the mother and the doctor.
Mothers, we need to stop comparing our ways with those of another Mother.
We need to be there for and with other mothers. First-time mommies need the help of more experienced mommies. I know. I have been a first-time mother and it wasn't all fun and games. I see SO many posts that knock mothers who bottle-feed, use disposable diapers, or use some unconventional way of parenting. SO what? The child will not turn out better by having breast milk; nor will they turn out better by using cloth diapers. In fact, they won't even remember their baby years. We, mothers, need to stop comparing and 'one-upping' other mothers. We are all in that same boat, trying to paddle to land and finding any means necessary to do so. We WANT our children to be happy, well fed, and clean. It doesn't matter HOW it is done, just that it IS done. Mothers, PLEASE, stop beating yourself up because you can't or forgot to do something. Love those children. That is the BEST thing in the world for a child.
Mothers, we need to stop comparing our children with others.
We need to help each other out, guide each other, and never judge when a mother doesn't do as we do. It is rather heartbreaking when I see a mother struggling. Then when speaking to another mother who saw that mother struggle belittle that mother. It DOESN'T matter how we parent. Unless a person is hurting a child physically or mentally, we should never jump in and judge. Every child is unique. They have their unique way of doing things and TIMES to do them. I really cringe when someone tells a mother, "Isn't he walking yet?" No, he is not. AND that is OKAY! Children do not always follow their peers and do things at the time that others do it. (It is okay to be concerned and ask your child's doctor about stages.) GG and I's boys ALL walked at different ages, got their teeth in at different ages, crawled at different ages, spoke at different ages, and ate 'real' food at different ages. They are all very healthy.
Our responsibility is to our children. If we take everything that people say to heart, we will never learn how to 'deal' with our children. SO much advice will be given. You can take each one and file it away. People will always give advice. It is what you do with that advice that will either help you or cut you down.
If you are a new mother, I wish you the best of luck in your journey. There will be very stressful times. I can't say that it will any less stressful as the years progress, because I don't know your story, But, you do learn how to 'deal' with those times. Just ALWAYS remember the good times.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Boys' School Lunches and Dinner Foods (Pictures to be posted soon)
Starting at the beginning of this school year (2015-16), we began our journey of providing our boys with their own homemade school lunch. I reviewed all sorts of lunch boxes, thermos containers, plastic containers, freezer jars, and other necessities.
After trying to find the right items for their lunches, I settled upon a Fit & Fresh lunch bag with a plastic container insert at Wal-mart for around $15. The insert held a hard freezable pack with 2 smaller plastic containers. There is enough space on the top for their short water bottles and thermos containers.
These bags work really well by keeping the food cold/hot. We went to several stores trying to find the Thermos brand containers with the stainless steel insert. I did not want just any brand, especially those with a plastic interior. At one Wal-mart, they had one Thermos brand with the stainless steel interior left. We bought it and went to another Wal-mart on the other side of the city to see if there were any available there. I had no such luck buying just a plain jane one.
GG left work a few days later and decided to go to Target to see if they had any available. They had the character ones, so MG chose one character, and JK chose another. That way we (I) don't get confused when I pack their lunches. Usually, I wake up early in the morning to pack them. Since I have 3 boys to pack for, I need as much time as possible to pack them. (I know I could easily get them to pack their own. I want to make sure that they take something healthy to school.)
Last week, their school lunches consisted of the following:
Monday ~ Pasta and meat sauce of their choice (thermos), Mandarin oranges or fruit cup, Pretzels, cheese stick, and Ritz crackers
Tuesday ~ Ham and cheese Pita, salad with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery, grapes, and Doritos
Wednesday ~ Hard Boiled Eggs, Tuna fish, Ritz Crackers, grapes, and Pretzels
Thursday ~ same as Tuesday
Friday ~ Taco Boats with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and chili meat, celery, grapes, Doritos, and peanut butter crackers
LB's lunch hour is at 12:35. I was able to eat with him in the lunchroom on Friday because I was substituting for a teacher and finished with the her duties. With it being so late, I was afraid that the hot food in the Thermos would not stay hot until the time he ate from the time I packed it. It, amazingly, wasn't cold or warm, but still quite hot. It has been a great experience with packing lunches. I just really dislike having to wash everything every evening for the next day.
I am from 'Cajun' country and our dinner menu is usually some that is very 'Cajun.' I do try to mix it up from time to time. (I really need to get pictures of our dinners to upload on here. :-))
On Monday, I took a day out and we ate from Taco Bell. (We don't eat out often.) It was SO good. We hadn't eaten there in quite awhile.
Tuesday, I didn't work, so we had Crockpot beef roast with medium grain rice and corn.
Wednesday, I baked some pork steaks, made some Suddenly Salad classic pasta, and green beans.
Thursday, GG and I cooked Taco Boats (The leftovers were put in the boys' lunch boxes the next day for them to have lunch.)
Friday, I put some chicken leg quarters in the Crockpot before leaving for work. I seasoned them really well. We had rice and broccoli with it.
These are just some examples of what I like to cook during the week. When I am working during the day, I like simple meals. I need to start a meal plan like I did last year. I got out of the habit of doing so. I need to make a meal plan for the boys' school lunches, as well. That way, when I go to the store, I know exactly what I want for the two weeks between GG's checks. I don't want to have to run to the store for something that I forgot when I should have made a list. ;-)
Hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day!
After trying to find the right items for their lunches, I settled upon a Fit & Fresh lunch bag with a plastic container insert at Wal-mart for around $15. The insert held a hard freezable pack with 2 smaller plastic containers. There is enough space on the top for their short water bottles and thermos containers.
These bags work really well by keeping the food cold/hot. We went to several stores trying to find the Thermos brand containers with the stainless steel insert. I did not want just any brand, especially those with a plastic interior. At one Wal-mart, they had one Thermos brand with the stainless steel interior left. We bought it and went to another Wal-mart on the other side of the city to see if there were any available there. I had no such luck buying just a plain jane one.
GG left work a few days later and decided to go to Target to see if they had any available. They had the character ones, so MG chose one character, and JK chose another. That way we (I) don't get confused when I pack their lunches. Usually, I wake up early in the morning to pack them. Since I have 3 boys to pack for, I need as much time as possible to pack them. (I know I could easily get them to pack their own. I want to make sure that they take something healthy to school.)
Last week, their school lunches consisted of the following:
Monday ~ Pasta and meat sauce of their choice (thermos), Mandarin oranges or fruit cup, Pretzels, cheese stick, and Ritz crackers
Tuesday ~ Ham and cheese Pita, salad with green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery, grapes, and Doritos
Wednesday ~ Hard Boiled Eggs, Tuna fish, Ritz Crackers, grapes, and Pretzels
Thursday ~ same as Tuesday
Friday ~ Taco Boats with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and chili meat, celery, grapes, Doritos, and peanut butter crackers
LB's lunch hour is at 12:35. I was able to eat with him in the lunchroom on Friday because I was substituting for a teacher and finished with the her duties. With it being so late, I was afraid that the hot food in the Thermos would not stay hot until the time he ate from the time I packed it. It, amazingly, wasn't cold or warm, but still quite hot. It has been a great experience with packing lunches. I just really dislike having to wash everything every evening for the next day.
I am from 'Cajun' country and our dinner menu is usually some that is very 'Cajun.' I do try to mix it up from time to time. (I really need to get pictures of our dinners to upload on here. :-))
On Monday, I took a day out and we ate from Taco Bell. (We don't eat out often.) It was SO good. We hadn't eaten there in quite awhile.
Tuesday, I didn't work, so we had Crockpot beef roast with medium grain rice and corn.
Wednesday, I baked some pork steaks, made some Suddenly Salad classic pasta, and green beans.
Thursday, GG and I cooked Taco Boats (The leftovers were put in the boys' lunch boxes the next day for them to have lunch.)
Friday, I put some chicken leg quarters in the Crockpot before leaving for work. I seasoned them really well. We had rice and broccoli with it.
These are just some examples of what I like to cook during the week. When I am working during the day, I like simple meals. I need to start a meal plan like I did last year. I got out of the habit of doing so. I need to make a meal plan for the boys' school lunches, as well. That way, when I go to the store, I know exactly what I want for the two weeks between GG's checks. I don't want to have to run to the store for something that I forgot when I should have made a list. ;-)
Hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day!
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Been away...
I cannot believe that 2 years has passed by so fast. That is how long it has been since I wrote anything here. Life sometimes consumes me. GG and I are trying to settle our finances. It seems that when we finally get ahead, something needs our attention and our savings goes to whatever needs our attention.
GG lost his job back in 2012. We had savings and used it to live on until he received another job. I think the new job that he got hired for was a blessing in disguise. We are happier because he makes a better salary for working 40 hours than his previous job. It really is a dream job for him. He does get a few hours of overtime which helps us save some money.
August was a really financially stressful month. We had to buy school supplies and uniforms, pay school and classroom fees, extras, and buying lunch items for the boys' school lunches as JK told me that he never ate at school and I was paying school lunches for nothing for him. Then MG told me that he, too, did not eat lunch at school. GG and I decided not to send money for lunches and just fix them. It has been a work in progress. Once I get into a routine with it and make a meal plan, I think it will go that much smoother.
GG's truck's windshield is cracked. He cannot get an inspection sticker as it is now. We will need to shell out some money for that. This on top of buying everything last month is stressing me out.
I am working part-time in the educational field. I really love working with children. In fact, I thought about going back to school to become a full-time teacher; so this is what I plan on doing. I took my PRAXIS testing. I feel inadequate because I failed the math portion. At least I can take it again. It was just something that I wanted to accomplish and it brought me down. I do not intend this blog to be about anything negative. I will say this: There is a plan for me. I want to help out in providing for my family. I just don't get paid until the end of the month.
I am going to try to take advice from Dave Ramsey. I want to get rid of all of our excess debt. I am speaking of credit cards. How we got involved with credit cards is beyond me?! I think it is a backup solution for us and it has become a crutch that we carry. For the past 14 years, I have had card debt. I don't want to even imagine HOW much we have paid in interest to these companies.
With me working, we should be able to add extra payments to these companies and hopefully pay them all off before the end of the year next year. We have a Christmas savings account that we CANNOT touch until October. I have told GG that I want to take the money out of our account when it transfers into the checking account and ONLY use cash for our Christmas shopping.
This year, I cannot wait for Christmas. I don't know what it is. I dread the shopping. However, I cannot wait until we decorate. I also love Christmas movies. There is nothing like it. We have to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving first. ;-)
GG lost his job back in 2012. We had savings and used it to live on until he received another job. I think the new job that he got hired for was a blessing in disguise. We are happier because he makes a better salary for working 40 hours than his previous job. It really is a dream job for him. He does get a few hours of overtime which helps us save some money.
August was a really financially stressful month. We had to buy school supplies and uniforms, pay school and classroom fees, extras, and buying lunch items for the boys' school lunches as JK told me that he never ate at school and I was paying school lunches for nothing for him. Then MG told me that he, too, did not eat lunch at school. GG and I decided not to send money for lunches and just fix them. It has been a work in progress. Once I get into a routine with it and make a meal plan, I think it will go that much smoother.
GG's truck's windshield is cracked. He cannot get an inspection sticker as it is now. We will need to shell out some money for that. This on top of buying everything last month is stressing me out.
I am working part-time in the educational field. I really love working with children. In fact, I thought about going back to school to become a full-time teacher; so this is what I plan on doing. I took my PRAXIS testing. I feel inadequate because I failed the math portion. At least I can take it again. It was just something that I wanted to accomplish and it brought me down. I do not intend this blog to be about anything negative. I will say this: There is a plan for me. I want to help out in providing for my family. I just don't get paid until the end of the month.
I am going to try to take advice from Dave Ramsey. I want to get rid of all of our excess debt. I am speaking of credit cards. How we got involved with credit cards is beyond me?! I think it is a backup solution for us and it has become a crutch that we carry. For the past 14 years, I have had card debt. I don't want to even imagine HOW much we have paid in interest to these companies.
With me working, we should be able to add extra payments to these companies and hopefully pay them all off before the end of the year next year. We have a Christmas savings account that we CANNOT touch until October. I have told GG that I want to take the money out of our account when it transfers into the checking account and ONLY use cash for our Christmas shopping.
This year, I cannot wait for Christmas. I don't know what it is. I dread the shopping. However, I cannot wait until we decorate. I also love Christmas movies. There is nothing like it. We have to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving first. ;-)
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