Flow

Go see it!

Today I had to take an honest look at my relationship with water. 

I thought I was quite conscious about my usage.  I mean, where I live people think about it quite a bit.  It's a progressive sort of town and also an extremely dry town with very little water reserve.  One day it will surely come to a head.  Most of us (I hope) turn off the water when we brush our teeth, try to shower quickly or go every other day, maybe you even let it mellow when it's yellow.  Most of us think that we're doing pretty good.  At least I did, until I watched "Flow" today.  I felt inspired to do much more.  When you see people who have absolutely nothing being taken advantage of by people who have EVERYTHING, you can't help but see the injustice and feel a responsibility to do something.  

The poorest of the poor in our world are having their most precious resource stolen from them.  Large corporations such as Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Suez and World Bank to name a few, are coming into these impoverished parts of the world and into towns right here in America and taking over the water supply and making you pay for it.  Now you and I can pay for water (not that we should), but many people cannot.  They don't even have $1 a day.  So, they are going without or drinking filthy, contaminated water and dying of disease.  In many of these countries 1 in 10 children die before the age of five because the have no access clean water.

I learned a few facts today about water:

1.  On average, bottled water costs 900 times the amount of tap water.

2.  This year, Americans will spend $40 billion on bottled water.

3.  Tap water regulation has more stringent governmental standards than that of bottled water.

4.  25% of all bottled water is re-packaged tap water.

5.  The amount of oil required to put one bottle of water in your hand would fill 1/4 of that same bottle.

6.  90% of used water bottles are NOT recycled (I thought this one was really astonishing).

7.  Right now, millions of pounds of trash are floating in the Pacific Ocean to form an island twice the size of Texas.  90% of that trash is plastic.

8.  Atrazine, a pesticide used in corn and other grain production,  is washing into our rivers, lakes and streams.  It is causing feminization of frogs, fish and other aquatic animals.  It is also linked to breast and prostate cancer.  Atrazine is banned in Europe, but is the 2nd most common pesticide in the US.  (I thought it was interesting that Atrazine is made in Switzerland, yet they won't touch the stuff).

9.  Found in municipal water systems are pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, antidepressants, pain killers, synthetic hormones, pesticides, herbicides, chemical runoff, household cleaners and cosmetics.

10.  Americans use an average of 3x more water than the rest of the world.

I am pledging right now to take one small step in refusing to buy or consume plastic bottled water ever again as long as I can help it (meaning I'm not stranded in the hot desert and all there is is an Aquafina or certain death).  

We don't need it.  It isn't better for you.  

If you are on city water and worried about chlorine, let your water sit out for 24 hours and the chlorine with evaporate.  

If you would like to know how you can help click  Here.

They Do Mean It

So, I've learned since my last post that when older mothers say "enjoy this time"  they DO mean it!  It means enjoy the innocence of these years.  I guess as they get older things can get a little scary.  And who am I kidding, I used to be quite frightening myself.  My Mom has told me... "you think you have sleepless nights now?  Just wait until you have teenagers."  Great.  And she pointed out while they are lots of work when they are little, there is great comfort in knowing just where they are at all times and just who with.
 I can only pray my teenagers are more sweet and angelic like their Daddy, not full of teen angst, drama and complete madness like their other parent ;)
 I have learned recently that your brain isn't even fully developed until you are twenty five.  Which is why teenagers and young adults do such stupid things.  They are like toddlers with adult bodies and desires and more freedoms.  Such a dangerous mix.  Why nature has done this, I have no idea.
And so, I leave you with this:
Seven really is the best age.  I really would like to have my children permanently frozen at seven and thawed at thirty.

"Enjoy This Time"

I keep seeing and hearing this lately.  And "they grow so fast" and I'm thinking yes they do and it's a good thing.  It's for their own safety!  Do you think people really mean that or are they just trying to make me feel better?  Actually, I wouldn't mind if they stopped growing when they were about two or three or maybe seven.  Seven seems to be a phenomenally great age.
I love my baby girl to pieces, but won't I enjoy the time more when she isn't whining and screaming and demanding things all day?  I feel like the boys are SO easy at this point and I really love spending time with them.  The Hubbins and I were talking today and we just can't wait for Little Miss Feisty Pants to join the rest of The Fam on our adventures.
Now, I know some of you have mellow mellow babes.  I've seen them.  I've baby sat them.  They eat, they sleep, they look around, make cute faces, cute noises.  I've seen babies play and then pass out when they are tired right where they are at!!!  NEVER in all my day have I had such a baby of my own.  Maybe if I did, I would relish in all that is babyhood more, but I have sensitive, screaming, demanding little babes (although after having Miss A, her brothers seem like a cakewalk and while they were high maintenance babies, they were awesome toddlers and Miss A moving into toddlerhood is scaring me a little).
So, while I do enjoy her cute little words, and snuggles and imagining the world through her eyes... I must say, I am REALLY going to enjoy my time in a couple years when I can make a meal without someone pulling my pants down trying to climb up me demanding "muk, muk, muk, muk, muk, MUUUUKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!" (milk) yes, from me... still.  And I'm going to love reading to all of my darlings at the same time without someone sitting on top of the book and hitting and kicking her brothers out of the way.  And I will absolutely love walking into World Market with my precious girl and walking out with some beautiful new place mats and a lovely new candle not a 16 ounce bottle of capers.
Yes, she's still obsessed.
 I had a new sitter tonight who had never heard of capers.  I had to make sure she knew exactly where to find them and if anything were to happen, throw a tablespoon of capers immediately into a plastic bowl and all would be good in the world.
Good night all.  I'm off to enjoy total silence for the next (we shall see how many hours).

Bye Bye Frump

OK, I love my little mountainy life and all, but enough with the frump!  I'm so tired of jeans and t's and pretending I'm fine with it.  I'm a WOMAN for heaven's sake, not some rolled-outta-bed college  gal.  

Now what to do?  (this is going to be a work in progress since I don't own any womanly clothing and don't have the $$ to buy it)  

For starters, I'm going to shower and fix my hair today in a real do.  I'm not a hair person, so this small goal should suffice for the time being.
C'mon ladies, do it with me.  We could start a revolution!

“I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”

~Coco Chanel

Let's Play Babies

Life with little boys can be summed up in one lone picture.

He was so proud of his work.

And then said...

"Mommy, watch me whack her!"

A Fallish Afternoon

I've often thought that the middle kid really gets the short end of the stick. The oldest gets a TON of attention just being the first born and the most wonderful thing in the universe for awhile and the baby will have her time when her brothers fly the nest. But, what about that Little Middle? Never an ounce of peace for this one. Except today. Home with a cold... Big Brother at school... Little Sis. napping. It's his turn!

And the poor guy is so used to not getting my full attention, he almost doesn't quite know what to make of it. Not only is he sandwiched, but he's my most quiet and easy going out of the bunch. You know how the squeaky wheel gets the grease... well, I've got two pretty loud squeakers and this one seems to be content without much fuss.

He spent a good chunk of his day dipping his sidewalk chalk in water and creating masterpieces. Then he moved on to coloring his hands and painting his finger nails, but it kept him occupied for a long time.

I wish I could type the smell of the day. After a huge rain in the early morning, the air was so sweet and cool and it felt Fallish and cozy. I noticed the first few leaves beginning to change. I am so ready for the real thing! Sweaters, tights, boots... bring it!! I love summertime in the mountains, but there's nothing like Fall. I need: to make more time for afternoons like these, to leave the mess alone, to put down the phone and sit outside and inhale life and watch my precious boy play in the beautiful sunshine.