Caving

Okay, so I have bowed to social pressure and here I am. As much as I hate to admit it, blogging is and has been the greater part of my social existence, and I am just not willing to part with that. It is the very fact that I am protesting, but if you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em. I have experienced many fun times, family outings, milestones and good recipes lately and I am afraid they will keep running around in my head until I get them out. So, I'll start with this:

I have been published in a birth book.

It's nothing you haven't read on my blog, and I have yet to read the book myself, but if you are like me and can't get enough of reading the beautiful birth stories of other women, click on the link and order yourself a copy. Here is an excerpt from Tara:

No more powerful transformation is available to a woman than that of the unhinderd birth of her child. As a woman’s body opens to the life of her baby, so too is she opened to the rawness and beauty of woman-hood. At the culmination of an unhindered birth, a woman is left with an increased sense of strength and confidence as a woman and a mother.

This often fearful and dreaded event of childbirth is largely misunderstood and shrouded in mystery. The harmful routines and common procedures performed during pregnancy, labor and birth more often than not strip the mother of her ability and right to birth spontaneously and with the joy and love possible.

By lessening fear and increasing awareness, a woman is able to come through her journey of childbirth as a new and stronger woman and mother. Birth Unhindered will help increase confidence, peace and acceptance of this transformative time in life as well as allow the reader to participate in the journeys of other women just like her.

Other happenings:

*Rachel is 6 months old today and very near to cutting her first teeth. We still wake up at night, which is okay because I am learning to let go of the "notion" of a full night's sleep. Knowing I am on the tail end of my child bearing years, I wish to do nothing to rush this time. Some of the sweetest moments occur in the middle of the night when I lift her half-asleep from her crib and bring her into the warmth of my own bed to have her curl her little body into mine and nurse.

*We have successfully completed our first week of homeschooling. We held a family home evening mid-week on establishing the rules and expectations of our homeschool, which seems to have helped to get us off on a good start. Helpful too are the commitments I have made to myself in regards to what I will hold myself accountable for as their teacher. For example: "Recognize signs of burnout and be willing to adapt."

*In accordance with my resolve to healthier eating, I came across the best banana and zucchinni bread recipes. Both use 100% whole-wheat flour (freshly ground in my case,) coconut oil, and are sweetened with pure maple syrup and honey in lieu of sugar. If you are like me and try to find a way to sneak chocolate into as many foodstuffs as possible, you can throw in a bag of Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips. Oh, and don't forget the addition of Mexican vanilla, an ingredient who's taste is out-of-this-world. It has revolutionized my baking (thank you Tiffany!) Who knew healthy could be so decadent?

*Our trip to Icehouse this previous weekend provided Forrest with more than the usual campfire story to tell He got more than he bargained for when a 500 lb black bear came creeping past within arm's reach. I knew exactly what it was when I awoke to the sound of it running past my side of the tent. I tried to tell him it was harmless and only out for our food, but he slept with his buck knife in hand for the rest of the trip. Note to all: there are bears at Icehouse!

As far as my blog goes, I still will have it published one day. It will just be a little more expensive by then.

(Who was I to think I'd have time for scrapbooking with five kids, anyways?)