Random thoughts for the day.

I've been busy lately. Snuggle Bug had a few days of testing recently. We're working on determining what services he is going to need when he starts preschool this summer. Currently, he is getting speech therapy and occupational therapy. There was a suggestion made for physical therapy. It was not because he is weak but because his skill present as a much younger child. This was also the case with Cuddle Bear, so I'm not too concerned. I'm just kinda worn out from all the running around.

In my efforts to stream line my home management stuff, I've come to the conclusion that we need to have another toy purge. I think part of the reason why there is always so many toys all over the floor is because the kids are overwhelmed by what they have. This means either giving away toys they have out grown or putting some aside into storage. It is a project for when both boys are off at preschool. Thus, it is going to be on either a Monday or a Friday that I do this. I know that as I get the toys under control, it will help me get the living room under control. This will help me feel empowered to take on the rest of the stuff.

I've become rather taken with the idea of Bento box lunches for the kids. As I don't have a toddler/preschooler sized Bento box, I picked up a few divided Tupperware containers. I'm going to start packing them for their lunches on the weekends and the days they are home from school. My morning routine is now going to include whipping together lunches. If I can manage to get myself and the kids into the habit of boxed lunches, it will make things like putting together Cuddle Bear's lunches for when he starts school in September a lot easier.

I finally busted out my sewing machine in the attempt to get caught up on the pile of sewing I have to do. I then discovered that my efforts to fix what ever its issue is were filled with fail. So, the sewing machine has been put away and I'm foraging on with hand stitching. As it stands right now, I have a veil that is half hemmed. It is made from the really bright pink floral print fabric that I bought a few years ago to make a wrap to carry Snuggle Bug in. Amusingly enough, that wrap has never really been used because Snuggle Bug has been a far too wiggly child to agree with it. I still have it put aside because I just adore the fabric. I may wind up using the wrap some other way. It has the dimensions of some of the larger wraps used by women in Southeast Asia, so I may have some new summertime outfits based upon this garment.

I've decided to try a cooking experiment. A few folks have talked about making 'hard boiled' eggs in the oven. I'm going to give it a try. I have two dozen eggs, one of which is going to be stale by this time next week. So, I am going to cook that dozen and make up egg salad for lunches. I am also going to put a few 'hard boiled' eggs aside for the boys to have as part of their dinner at some point next week too. I figure if I can find more ways to get protein into them, they'll put on a bit more weight.

At the WIC appointment last week, I was told that my boys are on the small side of things. I wasn't too surprised by that. There was some concern expressed over how Cuddle Bear is doing with weight gain. It doesn't help matters much that these boys are picky eaters. Their suggestions for how to get more veggies and proteins into the boys kinda made me laugh. It's what I am already attempting to do and not having much success. Hopefully, by offering more hearty snacks for after school time and getting creative with how I put meals together, I can get them to eat a wider variety of foods.

Thoughts on Teen Pregnancy.

I read this article and I found myself thinking about the circumstances of my own birth. My mother was seventeen when I was born (one week prior to her 18th birthday, to be precise). At the time, she was already a high school drop out. My parents married a little over a month and a half before I was born. I was born three months prematurely.

The area that I live in is not terribly well known for teen pregnancy. I can only imagine the kind of potential harassment that my mother had to deal with when she went into the grocery store. I was married and in my late twenties when I was pregnant with Cuddle Bear and I was harassed. It makes me question if there were better support in place if my parents would have waited to conceive me. At the same time, RockerChick was conceived and born while her father (my brother) and her mother were still teens in school.

Thirteen years later, I question if the needed knowledge was disseminated by the sex education classes we took. It seems like a lot of teens don't realize that some one can get pregnant on their first time having vaginal intercourse. It seems like many people who are in their twenties (and several in their thirties) don't understand that basic fact. It makes me feel disappointed with the whole affair.

Many people flail about screaming something about babies having babies. I still say the answer is prevention. And that prevention is a result of education. We can't just teach kids the mechanics of sex. We need to teach them about how to be responsible with sex. And for those teens who wind up pregnant, we need to provide them the same supports that we offer to grown women.

And I am of the opinion that greater supports need to be available to women who are in areas of economic distress. If we work together we can not only ensure the health and well being of these people and their children. We can maintain the strength (if not increase it) of the community. A community where people are educated, healthy, employed, and have it within their means to 'follow their bliss' is going to be one that is strong.

Somedays, however, I get the distinct impression that such a thing exists only in my imaginations.

Yay for self-publishing!

A good friend of mine self-published a book. Here's the link to it. He's a really smart guy and has a quirky (but awesome) sense of humor. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but when I do, look for a post about it.

The really awesome part is he's said he can help me figure out how to do this self-publishing thing. To say the least, I'm really excited for him and hoping that his book takes off. *SQUEE* This is so exciting!