Fun Fact Friday

I'm no genius, although once I scored a 165 on a computer IQ test... I'm pretty sure that it was wrong, but I secretly felt very good about it for a long time. But, there is one thing that I am sure of, and it is your fact for Fun Fact Friday:

Cheez Its prevent the insides of printers from working properly...



Happy Friday!!

Thanks to the two year old Piggy for the thoughtful experiment... fortunately, the printer survived.

Tasty Treats Thursday

This week's TTT is a variation of one of my favorite Food Network personality's, Guy Fieri. I mean, how can you not love that man? I watched his Chefography show on Sunday night and began to like him even more... family man, married for a long time, two kids, great chef, fun personality... great. I was watching one of his Big Bite episodes and he was making veggie burgers for his vegetarian sister, but with his spin. I watched the show, didn't write anything down, and just recalled... so I'm sure it's not perfect, but it is delicious. Here goes:

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed*
1 can pinto beans, rinsed (you can use any creamy bean, though, like white or great northern)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
a handful of black olives, diced
a handful of artichoke hearts, diced
half a red pepper (either roasted or fresh is fine), diced
half a green pepper, diced
a couple cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
1/2 - 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 large egg
cumin
chili powder
salt, pepper
sage
oregano
red pepper flakes

First, add your veggies (not the beans) to a pan with vegetable or canola oil (1-2 TBSP) on medium heat. Hold the garlic until later... you'll add it to the pan, but you don't want it to burn. Let the peppers and onions get nice and soft, but not too soft. You want them to create some texture to the patties. The artichoke hearts and olives will add a nice briny-ness to the flavor. You can add some salt and pepper to the mix. During the last 2 - 3 minutes add your garlic.

In the meantime, you take the beans and put them all in a large bowl together. I use a fork to smash them all, but you want to leave some consistency, so you don't have to break them down completely.The bean mixure: not as pretty as I'd like it to be, but whatever

Then, add your egg and rolled oats. All rolled oats are are the quick oats you find in the grocery store. Not the instant... but the 5 minute oats. Add about half the oats, and then after you add the veggies, you can continue adding them until your patties are nice and firm, but still juicy.

Take your veggies off the heat and let them cool down a few minutes. You don't want scrambled egg in the mix.

After it cools a little, add the veggies to the bean mix. Begin adding your seasonings, and you can do this to your taste. If you love cumin, add a lot (a few teaspoons), add a few shakes of chili powder, salt, pepper, and lots or a little red pepper flakes. Be sparing on the sage if you aren't a fan, load it in if you are. And add a healthy dose of oregano and parsley. Dried is fine, fresh is fine. Remember that if you are using dried, you'll use about 1/3 of the amount that you would use if you had fresh on hand.

Then, get your (clean) hands down and dirty in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into patties. You can make large patties or small patties, depending on your appetite and the size of the buns (if you use buns at all) that you have. If you make large patties, you'll get about 6... smaller patties yield 8 or so.

Next, put your vegetable oiled pan on medium high heat. You can either cook the patties solely on the stove or put them on the grill for some additional flavor. If you cook them on the stove, about 4 minutes on each side is great. If you want to put them on the grill, cook them about 2 minutes on each side (to help them stay binded together) and then transfer to the grill for another 2-3 minutes per side.

Last, load them up like you would any burger... lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup... they are really delicious.
*My veteran vegetarian friend says that rinsing the beans will reduce the amount of gas one will experience after eating those beans... just an fyi.

Wordless Wednesday- A Very Sexy Picture :)

To Catch a Baby

I am a childbirth educator in The Bradley Method. I took Bradley classes, which is a 12 week series of comprehensive childbirth classes with my husband, while I was pregnant with my first child. After I had a successful non-medicated birth I went to contact my Bradley instructor, but she had moved from the area. My midwife encouraged me to see what was involved in becoming an instructor, myself, and I did. When Piggy was 4 months old, Todd and I went to Atlanta to meet the couple who developed the method, and to take the Teacher's Workshop- 40 grueling hours packed into 3.5 days. I totally fell in love with teaching and up to this day have seen over 30 couples graduate. While teaching last year, I became pregnant with my second child and had her naturally at home in a similar, though quicker, fashion as Piggy.

I teach couples everything they need to know about having a low-risk pregnancy and a normal, non-medicated childbirth experience. I teach the husbands how to be coaches: how to be in control of the situation, how to recognize different stages of labor, and how to best help their wives through the discomfort involved in labor and birth.

Well, I've been assuring these coaches for the last year that they can do this, encouraging them to be active participants in labor and birth. So, here goes the story:

One Tuesday night I welcomed a brand new class of Bradley students to the birth center. At about 8pm, someone called and left a message, of which I only caught a little bit. Seemed that one of my graduates had gone into active labor. I don't officially work for the birth center, so I felt like I had no place in answering the phone. But I was really excited! It was possible that one of my couples would show up in labor during my class! The phone rang again about 10 minutes later and it was the dad calling to see if anyone was at the birth center because they were on their way. I picked up the phone mid-message and asked if he had the midwives' phone numbers. He said he had called them and I went on with my class.

About 25 minutes later, as my students were dispersing, the laboring couple showed up. Stupidly, I asked the mom how she was doing. "I've been better," was her soft, but quick response and her husband whispered to me, "I think she may be in transition." They immediately funneled in to the birth suite on the right- the mom's parents and a friend were right behind them. The parents had a seat on the couch in the classroom/den area and the friend accompanied the couple into the other room. As I observed this movement, I realized what the coach had just said. "I think she's in transition." What that means to lay people is that once this period is over, pushing begins. I went into the birth suite and asked the coach if he knew when the midwives would be there, and he said he hadn't gotten in touch with them. What? Hadn't gotten in touch with the baby catchers?!? I immediately went to my phone and called one of them. Straight to voicemail. I apparently went into some sort of altered state... I knew I needed to remain calm. Think clearly. Appear to be in control of this situation. I did what anyone would do, and asked if anyone wanted any coffee. "Coffee?" the laboring mom's father asked. But his wife said, "You just take care of our daughter." So, I took the water I had grabbed out of the fridge to the birth suite and gave it to the coach. Mom was sitting on the toilet and saying that she needed to go to the bathroom. Oh NO. The Ferguson Reflex happens when the baby is descending down the birth canal and makes the mom feel like she needs to have a bowel movement.

The next thing I know they were asking me to get the tub filled up. Now, this is no ordinary bath tub. This is a Sani-Jet tub with all the bells and whistles. It is huge and it is a wonderful pain relief tool for laboring moms. I turned on the water and began trying to fill that giant tub. The water just rushed out as quickly as it poured in. I looked down to see that the drain wasn't closed. I attempted to close it properly by twisting a silver knob close to the jet controls. It didn't move or twist, probably because it had nothing to do with the drain. (See center silver round thing under faucet in the picture)

I then proceeded to turn on the water jets, which were incapable of propelling water because there was no water in the tub. I tried to turn that off as the sound it was making was horrendous, and end up turning it up higher. The coach gently says, "I don't think the jets will work until the water is in it." Yes. Right. But how do we get the water to fill up the tub? I left the room and called the other midwife hoping to get her on the phone and... success!! She answered, and I calmly explained the situation. She made sure she heard me right- a laboring couple was at the birth center, in transition, and they hadn't been called until now. Oh, and by the way, how do I work the tub? She said, "Just pull the stopper up and place it properly into the hole." They were on their way. As I looked at the clock and realized where they were coming from, I knew we were going to cut it close.

I went back into the birth suite and closed up the drain. The water was now unable to escape and the tub was filling up, slowly but surely. The laboring mom was crying softly and asking if the water was ready. "No, sweetie. I'm trying to get it full for you. I'm trying." Inside I was totally freaking out. There was a real possibility that I was going to be the baby catcher this night. I went over in my mind where the towels were and how we could possibly slow this train down. And then I left the room to check on the parents. They were doing fine. I checked on the coffee. It was not doing fine... it was thin and watery. I asked the dad how he liked his coffee and he said, "Do you have cream?" I searched for it and found it. I gave him a spoon and tried not to hear the laboring mom's vocalizations from the other room. All of the sudden the relaxation phrase we use in class "Each contraction brings us closer to the birth" seemed ominous. No more contractions! I could NOT catch a baby.

The more concerned I got, the slower I moved. Because obviously slow equates to calm and in control. I slowly walked to the birth suite and told the coach that he was doing a great job. I crept into the den and told the parents that the coach and laboring mom were doing a great job. Because as long as everyone was doing a great job, they were still in labor and there was no baby to catch.

And finally, the midwives arrived!! I was relieved to say the very least. As one walked in I briefed her on the progress. Then I did what I thought was normal, I offered her some coffee, too. Because, of course, she would need coffee. Or maybe not. She looked at me with a smile on her face and said, "No thank you." And went to take control of this situation. I sat on the desk in the den and asked the parents how they were doing, and they responded, "Okay." And then I heard it... grunty pushes at the peak of one of the contractions! I told them that that was a great sound, that the baby would be here shortly. Then I thought better of promising a quick birth and said, "Or maybe not." I waited another minute or so, to see if anyone else needed me, and quietly slipped out. I knew that my husband was in desperate need of me to come home and feed the screaming baby...

The next day I found out that that little baby had been born 15 minutes after I left. Both mother and baby were doing well, and coach was a super proud papa. I realized then that even though I had taught childbirth education classes, I had never seen a real live woman in labor before- other than myself. I learned a good lesson about the emotions involved in watching and caring for a person you know and love and respect in a hard situation. I have gained another element of becoming a good teacher- having actually experienced another aspect of childbirth. Now I not only know about the laboring mother, but also understand how the coach feels. And I realized that adrenaline produces some interesting curiosities in our personalities. Coffee anyone?

Does Your Child Need Music? The Answer is YES!

I am fortunate to have an extremely talented family. I'm second of three sisters (my poor dad) and the talent for making beautiful music somehow skipped me. My older sister, now a dermatologist (I mean really? beautiful, talented, and a genius) played piano like Bach and was the concertmaster (lead violinist) in her orchestra during high school. My younger sister could literally pick up any instrument, look at it for a few minutes, fiddle with the buttons and knobs, cover the holes and pluck the strings and immediately play a complicated melody... give her a day or so, and she'd have something unbelievable in store for you (again, beautiful, talented, and a genius!). I don't want to leave the baby out- she is a wonderful piano player, with long, elegant fingers that can span octaves who will also be going to medical school soon (and you got it... beautiful, talented, and genius). But somehow I missed out on the particular gene. I played the piano (sloppily), the violin (screechily), the oboe (have you ever heard one played badly? it is really really awful), the saxophone (less than bluesy), and the guitar (clumsily). However, with all this instrument abuse, it was good for me.

My younger sister (you know, the beautiful, talented genius?) is now the orchestra teacher for a specialty school in Jacksonville called La Villa School for the Arts and it is a magnet school that focuses on the arts, which is an amazing opportunity for those kids who are talented in areas like music, dance, voice, theater, and visual arts. Her husband is the orchestra teacher for Douglas Anderson, which is the high school that La Villa students graduate to. They took the time to answer my questions regarding music and its importance in shaping our children's lives.

Me: What attributes does music help develop in my child?

Carol and Brian: Reading music helps develop fluency in reading language. Counting rhythms helps develop mathematical skills. Playing music with other develops a mentality of teamwork and camaraderie. Performing music helps develop self confidence and perseverance. Composing music garners creativity and intelligence. The list goes on and on. There are a number of websites that show statistical information about the importance of music education. Check out these sites: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/factsandstatistics.html; http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/musicsmart.html; www.flmusiced.org.

Integrity. Music helps make people better people. The process of making music is incredibly rewarding. It's one of the only things in life where you get 100% of what you put into it, out of it. There are tremendous life lessons in music education that cannot be learned anywhere else.

Me: When should I begin thinking about enrolling my child in a music education program?

Carol and Brian: As early as possible. With string education in particular, the earlier the better. There are violins and cellos that are made for children as young as 2 and 3 years old. Other possibilities would be a kindermusic class that teachers general musical concepts such as tempo, basic rhythm, distinctions between high and low, loud and soft, etc.Kindermusik starts with newborns and goes through 7 years old. Check out their website at www.kindermusik.com. I think Kindermusik can serve as a great springboard to Suzuki string lessons, which can start as soon as a child is toilet trained.


Me: What should I look for when searching for a private music teacher?

Carol and Brian: Experience and expertise. Charisma, high expectations, organization skills, professional performance experience can all lead to a great learning experience for a child. Ask questions. Ask about their training. Ask parents of other students about the teacher. As much as possible, find a private teacher that specializes on the instrument for which you are looking for lessons. Professional Music Educators are generally well qualified to teach private lessons to beginners and intermediates on an instrument that they may not specialize in. Make sure the personalities of the teacher and your child are compatible. Ultimately, it depends on the relationship between the student and the teacher. If you find a good private teacher, I recommend sticking with them for two years or so. In my opinion, good teachers teach their students everything that they know and then send them to another teacher. Some teachers hold onto students indefinitely because they depend on these students for income. This can definitely be a negative experience for the child, as the teacher may have run out of new things to teach the child. You want a private teacher who will hold the student accountable when it comes to practice time at home. Also, check out the rates. Compare them with others around town. You should notice marked improvement when your child begins private lessons. Attend the private lessons and take notes so that you can help your child practice at home.

Me: We have a limited income. Can my child participate in music education?

Carol and Brian: Absolutely. Many towns and cities have Community Music Programs with affordable tuition. Many of these also offer scholarships and financial assistance. Make sure to ask about this when you're searching for a teacher or program. Depending on the age of the child, bartering can also be used. For instance, a particular teacher may prefer to teach an hour lesson in exchange for a night of free babysitting or lawn care. Motivated students and parents find creative ways to make it work. Sometimes teachers will give a discount for students who have exceptionally challenging circumstances and are working hard at their music.

Me: How do we decide which instrument our child should play?

Carol and Brian: If the child is young, say, between 2 and 10 years of age, the violin or cello are great instruments to start on. These instruments are made in sizes to fit small children. Stringed instruments are a very tactile way of making music, therefore, little kids like to get their hands on them (adults too!). They satisfy that same urge that they have when they get in the elevator and want to push all of the buttons. Piano is also a great instrument for younger children, but is a more solitary art. Many public school general music programs teach Orff instruments, which are played with mallets similar to percussion instruments. Wind instruments such as flute, trumpet, clarinet, etc. generally require that the child have a good lung capacity. Small children do not have this capacity. Also, most of the wind instruments are made in only one size. It is best to start children off on stringed instruments and later on, when they are in 5th or 6th grade (most school band programs begin in 6th or 7th grade) and physically capable, they can try out a wind instrument. Wind instruments depend a lot on the size of the child, the shape of their mouth, and other things. For instance, when I would young I was extremely short. I never would have been able to play the trombone. Now, at 5'3", I still have trouble reaching the slide out all the way. Find out what the child is interested in, then consult a professional. Vocal lessons and/or participation in a choir or chorus is also a great way for your child to participate in music.

Me: How important is music education in the mental, emotional, and social development of my child?

Carol and Brian: It is extremely important. The student has to learn patience, discipline and focus in order to be successful. We live in a 'get it now' society where we like instant gratification. Music education teaches children to work and persevere and to be determined to achieve a goal. The gratification comes in the form of attaining goals and performing. It is not instant. Also, the student learns social skills through group endeavors. An arts class provides students more opportunity to show their personality and to create relationships with others who share their enjoyment for their art. Playing a stringed instrument will challenge a child more than anything else they will encounter in their life. The cognitive challenges alone are greater than anything else that we attempt as human beings. When you add all of the social challenges, the teamwork concepts required, and the awesome rewards, the opportunity to play a stringed instrument is essential to a child's development and can lead to a lifetime of music making.

Me: Are there other schools out there like La Villa and Douglas Anderson? How does my child qualify to go to a school like that?

Carol and Brian: Our schools are called Arts Magnet schools. Many cities have these types of schools. Get in contact with your school's district office to find out information about any Arts Magnet programs and the process of enrollment. Here's how it works at my school. I can accept students not previously enrolled in the Magnet Program through something called Neighborhood Auditions. Students interested in attending my school come in and audition for a spot in a specific arts area. Other students who are enrolled in the Magnet Program in my district are guaranteed a seat at my school. There is also a lottery. Every community is different in this regard. Some magnets are successful, while others are not. Successful arts magnets have superior arts AND academic programs.

Me: Are there certifications that I should consider when interviewing music instructors for private lessons?

Carol and Brian: Not necessarily. Many musicians who are extremely talented and are great private teachers never had formal college training. In these instances you have to look for experience and expertise. Always ask questions of other students who take from the private teacher.

It can't hurt for a teacher to have professional affiliations with national organizations. My husband and I are members of the Florida Orchestra Association and the American String Teachers Association. This means we can sponsor students for All-State Orchestra auditions (if they are member of our school orchestra) as well as state and national competitions that they would not normally have access to.

Me: Are there scholarships available for my child and how does he/she qualify?

Carol and Brian: Many colleges offer music scholarships to students who major in music. Some colleges will even offer scholarships to musicians who don't major in music but are part of a campus ensemble. College websites are a great resource to find out more information. Depending on the availability of a community or church music program in your area, scholarship assistance may or may not be available. Ask around. Research any music schools and make phone calls.

Music, and especially strings, are valued at the college level. Colleges look for students who not only have good grades, but have engaged in rigorous challenges throughout high school. When a student has been selected to perform in an All-State Orchestra, that is evidence that they have not only achieved on their instrument, but that they must enjoy it to put in so much time to prepare for it. The ability to prepare and to complete a task are two skills that colleges and the workforce value the most. If a college accepts a student, they want him. If they offer a scholarship, they need him. It's good to play scholarship offers against each other as well.

Me: Are summer camps worth the money? What can I expect my child to learn? How old does my child have to be to participate?

Carol and Brian: Summer camps can be the most enriching musical experiences for music students. Students attending camps are immersed in their art for a specific period of time. It's a chance for your child to study with teachers they may not normally have access to. Two weeks of camp is worth about a semester in a school music program. That's because the majority of time is spent refining and honing musicality, technique, ensemble, etc. Most camps offer music theory classes, piano classes, private lessons, ensemble experiences and other incredible enriching activities.Summer camps=Pre College. This is an opportunity for kids to gain independence. It's an opportunity for parents to learn to let go and get ready for the empty nest. Summer music camps vary...some are very "campy" and have lots of social activities while others (most) have a more pre-professional feel to them. Major music festivals are opportunities for high school kids to network with college and conservatory professors by taking lessons with them. Sometimes those lessons lead to full music scholarships where those professors teach. Age limits vary. Research specific camps for more information on this.


I want to thank Carol and Brian for taking the time to answer my questions. Feel free to ask any, too! I'll send them to Carol and Brian and post them at a later date!!! Have a great weekend!!

Fun Fact Friday

This week's Fun Fact Friday is just a tidbit of information that you may or may not know:

A woman who breastfeeds her baby burns approximately 500 calories per day!!

Do you know what other things you can do to burn 500 calories?

• Jog at 5mph for one hour- sweating atrociously convinced death is just around the corner

• Do step aerobics for one hour- feeling mildly inadequate because grandma is whipping your butt

• Jump rope for 45 minutes- hahahahaahaahaaa!!!

• Run at 8mph for 35 minutes- are you joking? I can't even run 6mph. And I think that is considered a sprint...
  

• Spend 50 minutes on the elliptical trainer- as long as something good is on TV I guess it wouldn't be awful...

• An hour of vigorous rowing on a machine- if you are coordinated enough to work that particular monstrosity
  

• Spend an hour doing labor-intensive yard work- which could be enjoyable if you are able avoid the fire ant hills, West Nile Virus-carrying mosquitos, and killer ground bees

I don't know about you, but I greatly prefer to plant my rear end on the couch, stare at my sweet baby's face, and fill her belly a few times a day. Nary a sweat is broken and I am not sore in strange places the next day. In fact, these 500 calories are enough to convince me that I will suffer through all the random aches and pains of nursing a 9 month old and continue on until she's... well, at least 4. I can endure the strange looks and the snickers behind my back to avoid working out strenuously. YAY for nursing!!

And before anyone gets her panties in a wad, I do walk with my family most nights because I do understand the importance of regular physical exercise. I just think it is awesome to burn calories while loving on my Petunia... Happy Friday!!

A New Baby!!!

I normally write about something tasty and delicious on Thursdays but couldn't contain my excitement over the birth of a new baby... at the farm. That's right, my obsession has officially transcended human birth and is spilling over into the animal kingdom. My aunt has a delightful 14 acre spread in North Carolina (Blueberry Hill Farm) and one of her alpacas, a maiden named Run Around Sue, just birthed her very first baby a whopping 8 days past due (in the Bradley world that is right on time!)... a female cria named Merry Cathy- in sweet homage to my mother, whose birthday she now shares.

Unfortunately, Sue wasn't the most attentive mother and was wandering away from Baby Cathy, but we had hopes that she would get the hang of being a mom (we all know there is a learning curve, right??) and that the baby would continue to learn to nurse and get big and strong.

How consumed am I with natural birth and breastfeeding?? (And if I didn't know it before, I'm aware of it now). Well, when I heard that Sue was not letting the baby nurse, I unthinkingly offered to pump for the new cria, not realizing how strange it was to even contemplate giving a baby alpaca my human milk, much less actually offer. And honestly, who goes around gifting animals their pumped milk?!? Then I thought I could come up and somehow try to teach Sue how to nurse this baby (alpacas are not known for their intellectual aptitude- maybe I could "model" nursing for her, show her how it's done), and could possibly bring along my friend and LLL leader for an alpaca breastfeeding intervention. I asked my aunt if she thought Sue may be engorged, whether her nipples (I mean teats!) may be sore (I'd be happy to loan out my Lansinoh), and asked if she thought hand-expressing some milk may be beneficial... all while giving various other human mother/baby nursing tips.. Then I realized that holy moly, I have seriously gone off the deep end and should probably keep my mouth shut, and my Lansinoh and milk to myself...

You will all be happy to know that in the days following the birth the baby is nursing more frequently and is growing stronger without my assistance- or my milk. :o)

So without further admissions of insanity, here are some sweet pictures of that new baby!!

Baby Cathy- you see the top of her head and her left pink ear (that brown spot is a lovely fawn marking) and two front legs. How grateful I am that human babies are not born arms and head first!!

This is Sue and Baby Cathy just moments after birth. Amazing that she can already stand on those spindly legs!!

Here are Sue (mom), Silver (the silver one, ahem) and Beatta checking out "their" new baby. Interestingly, they are both probably pregnant and are the only other alpacas that came to check out the new addition.

Sue and Baby Cathy hanging out in the coolness of the barn.

When I begin teaching a new series of childbirth education classes, I always tell my students about Dr. Bradley's time on his farm growing up and how that shaped his understanding of normal birth. Until my aunt began her alpaca farm, I could never visualize exactly what he was talking about. But I have always of the persuasion that if animals (alpacas or otherwise) can give birth naturally, so can I! I believe that our bodies were created to give birth by a masterful and artistic God... seems like all too often we forget how marvelously we were made, sell ourselves short, and never realize what we are capable of.