A Friend for Mindy

Mike and I never intended to create a “middle child” when Naomi was born.  Although I had read every book I could find on sibling rivalry to prepare Jenna, our firstborn, for the arrival of her baby sister, I didn’t put much thought into preparing our dog. Sure I sent Mike home with a baby hat from the hospital with Naomi’s scent and I allowed Mindy to sniff Naomi in my arms and lay her head on her blanket to encourage their bond. But soon after I was thrown into survival mode with crying infant and tantruming two year old battles.

I remember days not long ago when I’d have a screaming Naomi in my right arm, a hysterical Jenna on my left hip and Mindy using the couch as a spring board to repeatedly make eye contact with me as I did endless laps around the living room.   If I tried to nurse Naomi, Mindy would burrow onto my lap, flip her belly up and enthusiastically thump me with her tail while Naomi was shot in the eye with a stream of milk. Most days I was too tired to do more than move Mindy to the side and pet her head a couple times.

My mom had a Chihuahua named Holly who made war with the carpet under my brother’s crib when he was born, so it is a credit to our terrier/Italian greyhound mix that she handled the transition as well as she did.  Mindy got depressed for a while and a touch rebellious.  She’d steal Jenna’s food whenever she got the chance, pull out and shred the garbage bag from our flip top pail and “kill” diapers so the “remains” covered three rooms.  As things grew more and more chaotic, Mike and I decided that Mindy was feeling neglected and that we had to take action to help her feel less forgotten.

Mike and Jenna started taking Mindy on long walks in our neighborhood twice a day. We bought some special dog treats, bones, and toys just for her-most of which she just sniffed at and then ignored. We placed special soft blankies in her crate and went out of our way to snuggle under the covers each night during family movie time.  It was crowded to be sure, but gradually Mindy’s spirits lifted a bit.  But the bounce in her paws didn’t completely return until Christmas. 

My family packed up Christmas night and drove to my Aunts’ house in North Georgia for a week long cost effective vacation.  My Aunts have dogs so it was wonderful to be able to take Mindy along.  She enjoyed tasting the dog scented toys and bones and for the first time was able to experience the freedom of a fenced in yard. Because of Rudolph and Frosty Jenna was dying to see snow and amazingly her wish came true on our second night there.  Jenna and Mindy were in their glory! Mindy darted around like she was experiencing life for the first time.  Leaping and jumping like a kangaroo on a diet of Mountain Dew, she bounded to and fro after tiny snow balls Jenna tossed through the air.  Their joy was contagious and Mike, the whole family, and I came back with a full battery charge. 

Something must have triggered new life in Mindy because after that trip she developed a taste for toys.  Of course it wasn’t the doggy ones we bought her. No, it was one toy in particular that Mindy set her mind to.  Mindy fell in love with Naomi’s pink Pillow Pet.  At first we fought it.  Naomi and Mindy would be sitting on the foam mats on the floor, each with their face burrowed into the fluffy piggy body.  Naomi would squeal with delight as Mindy would take the pig by the neck and pull it toward herself a little at a time.  I’d take it from Mindy, tell her no, give Mindy her chew bone and the pig back to Naomi.  I’m sure Mindy was confused by the mixed messages because Naomi would slap the pillow happily and grunt at Mindy to encourage her to play some more. 

A few days later I noticed the pig was being relocated to odd places: behind the lace curtains in the window, under our bed or Naomi's crib, stuffed between the blankets in Mindy’s crate.  At first I suspected Jenna was the culprit and was hiding the toy to get back at Naomi for sliming her new tea set. But one day I caught Mindy red handed while I pretended to be folding laundry.  Mindy slowly crept up to Naomi, and grabbed the pig pillow by the scruff of the neck like a mother dog carries her puppy. I waited a moment, followed her to the bedroom, and then peaked around the corner. 

There Mindy was in our bed burrowed beneath our pillows, her paws wrapped protectively around the pig pillow’s neck.  Just as I was about to scold her I stopped when I realized that Mindy was carefully grooming the stuffed toy.  She gave it a few flea bites, bathed it and nuzzled it, and turned it over each way to make sure it was thoroughly clean just as a good mommy would do.  Then she pressed her forehead into the neck of the pig and fell asleep.  It melted my heart.  I decided to give up the three week long fight and relinquish the pig pillow for Mindy to love.

Now Mindy-dog carries that piggy everywhere.  She drags it from room to room and lays on it at my feet.  Mindy pushes it into the living room windowsill and with one paw draped over its back she barks at neighbors walking by.  If by chance the stuffed pig starts to fall off the couch, Mindy will grab it by the neck with her mouth, growl softly, drag it back, give it a few soft tongue licks, and then go back to barking out the window. I’ve never seen a dog so in love or one so happy to have found new purpose in life.  I guess in the end Mindy was just looking for a baby of her own to love.  

The Art of Falling Asleep

I’m not quite sure why it takes my eldest daughter, Jenna, a million years to go to sleep each evening.  Right now it’s 8:34 p.m. and she is still tossing and turning in her room since her 7:30 p.m. bed time.  If our nightly trend continues it will be nearly 9:30 before the sounds of thumb sucking finally echoes over the baby monitor.  I’ve tried just about everything I can think of to help her out.  Late afternoon runs at the park, Chamomile Sleepy Time Tea, back rubs, warm baths with lavender bubbles, soft music, and missed afternoon naps (this just creates an extra horrid mutated version of the child lying awake in the next room).  

We established a nighttime wind down routine for Jenna to help her “prepare” her mind and body for sleep.  We read two books in bed, say our prayers, then it’s snuggle time and lights out. Still it doesn’t work.   Mike suggested that we try children’s Benadryl.  Drugging my kid with cough medicine seemed wrong somehow.  But the other night I got desperate and I researched it anyway. Apparently it has the adverse affect on most children and is not recommended by pediatricians-DARN!  

Naomi on the other hand, she has been gifted with the Sand Man’s magic dust.  Most times I don’t even have to check the clock because about five minutes before or after each of her scheduled nap times/bedtimes she starts to rub her eyes and want to nurse.  Then before I can say, “Jenna would you please hand me that burp cloth,” Naomi is sound asleep and sweetly snoring away in her crib.

She must have inherited that talent from her daddy.  Mike and I can be in full nighttime conversation. He’ll ask me a question, and before I can answer his nose and throat are imitating the creaking of a boat moored too tightly to the dock during rough waters.  It’s a horrid sound but apparently I’m not alone. (54% of married couples say their partner snores)

Must be wonderful to have that ability to fall instantly asleep when you are tired! I on the other hand have always had a difficult time falling asleep. My brain has a tendency to keep going on and on trying to solve the problems of my day and configure plans for the morning. Sleep aids have never worked for me ever.  In fact I don’t think traditional sleep medication of any kind ever has. Even when I had to have my tonsils taken out the general anesthesia gas didn’t take effect right away.

I was 8 years old and I was super excited about my first surgery and the interesting gas mask they had just placed over my nose and mouth. “Ok, Jamie,” the doctor had said as he held it over my face, “Now close your eyes and count out loud backwards from 100.” I had seen this scene like 20 times on TV so I closed my eyes and started counting.  By 78 I was board so I stopped counting and instead listened to the conversations around me.  “Can we get more gauze over here, just in case this one is a bleeder?” Then over the hiss of gas I heard my doctor say, “Alright she’s out now, let’s begin.” To this I popped open my eyes and yelled, “SURPRISE!” “I’m still awake!” I thought it was hilarious, but by the looks on everyone’s face in the room they were far from amused.  The last thing I remember is counting to 9. 

If only I had the ability to quiet my mind and allow myself to truly rest.  Think of the money a person could make if they’d invent a sleep mode button implant so we could instantly shut down as easily as a computer can.  Most times when I’m lucky enough to fall asleep before 11 p.m.  the sounds of Jenna’s talking in her sleep, or Naomi’s quiet dream whimpers, or Mike’s Jet engine snores wake me up at 3:00 a.m. and then I wide awake again for another hour or so.  Couple that with Jenna’s biweekly 4:45 a.m. protests that she is no longer tired and playing in the dark is “good for her” and I’m turning into one frumpy Zombie Mama. 

My brother, Jesse, and his friend came over the other afternoon to help move some furniture and it was only then that I realized I was still wearing my pajama top over my blue jeans and I hadn’t bothered to style my hair.  I glanced in the mirror in between directing twin bed traffic, threw a head band on, and shrugged at the bouffant teen wolf like hairdo I was sporting.  (A combination of the pictures below)

Hair Example A

Hair Example B

Jesse saw me come out of the bathroom, glanced at my head, and then made a face half amusement half pity.  I whispered, “I didn't sleep again last night…don’t judge me!” and then proceeded to clean out the garage and rearrange the girls’ room on autopilot.

It’s now 9:25 p.m. and Jenna is finally asleep (nearly two hours late). I can’t be irritated about it I suppose.  I figure I’m the guilty one for her inherited insomnia. But there must be something out there that can help? Anything? Suggestions, PLEASE!!!  Feel free to email or comment anytime.  Most likely I’ll still be awake to catch it ;0

"Organic" on a Budget

Have ever watched the documentary, Food Inc? If you haven’t, I definitely recommend it. (http://www.foodincmovie.com/)  It’s a mind-broadening experience.  Because of Food Inc, and other documentaries like it (The Future of Food, Food Matters, Ingredients, Home Grown Revolution) I began to think about food in a whole new light.

Mike and I went on a fast food boycott, near-vegetarian, and all organic everything else-mission. We became flexitarians, eating an exclusive home diet (what we ate in our household) of fruits and vegetables, bread, nuts, fish, eggs, and occasional organic chicken or beef. But when I left work to be a stay at home mom, the reality of our budget (and the limited items that I could eat on my youngest daughter Naomi’s allergen diet) made us reconfigure things a bit. I knew it was important to eat as organic as possible (check out this website for details: http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/) but I couldn’t afford the high prices of a lot of organic foods.

So, like I do for just about everything in my life, I decided to research more on the topic.  I found out that the Environmental Working Group has a frequently updated fruit and vegetable list with information on the items that have the most chemicals. The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For the 12 fruits and vegetables on the list, you should definitely go organic. “The Dirty Dozen” list (http://ewg.org/foodnews/) includes:

·         celery

·         peaches

·         strawberries

·         apples

·         domestic blueberries

·         nectarines

·         sweet bell peppers

·         spinach, kale, and collard greens

·         cherries

·         potatoes

·         imported grapes

·         lettuce

Apparently, the USDA has three different types of labeling for organic products: 
100% Organic: Made with 100% organic ingredients
Organic: Made with at least 95% organic ingredients
Made With Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms).   
Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may list organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package. http://ofrf.org/resources/organicfaqs.html

Conventional farmers	Organic farmers
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet, and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

Skimming the surface research I figured my conclusion would be simple: Organic=Good J, Conventional Farming= BAD L. In my mind the idea of organic always created this image of a little blond girl in braids and a sundress skipping through pristine fields of blueberries and clover in a  happy Swiss Alps valley. But as my research continued I discovered organic doesn’t exactly mean organic like I thought.  That little prairie girl in my mind got bombed with clouds of Rotenone and knocked face down in the contaminated mud when I read one article claiming there are over 20 chemicals commonly used in the growing and processing of organic crops that are approved by the US Organic Standards. (Some are listed here: http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Permitted_Chemicals_List_for_Organic_Farming)

 I researched some more and found out that Organic farmers are actually allowed to use pesticides derived from natural sources and processed lightly, if at all, before use. This is different than the current pesticides used by conventional agriculture, which are generally synthetic. But both natural and synthetic chemicals can be detrimental to human health. As I stared at my computer screen I felt like a little kid who just discovered that his favorite superhero was a Pyromaniac who burned down the apartment building he just saved 6 people from. Great! Now, what am I supposed to do with that?  

I did some soul searching and came to the conclusion that large scale production of organic products is more than likely one step less evil than conventional farming. They still ship all over the world producing a high carbon footprint and when production gets large- quality and company integrity often take a hit. So in place of looking for only “organic”, I configured a list of what was important to my family in our food choices, a target for what we were looking for at the grocery store or produce stand:

1. Nutrient dense

2. No persistent harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

3. No synthetic growth or breeding hormones.

4. No antibiotics.

5. Animal Quality of Life & Humane Treatment. (I’d love to say that I’m totally vegetarian but I gotta be honest-I love me a burger or juicy steak every now and then :)

My husband and I started looking closer at labels to see where our food comes from. Local is great, organic and local even better, organic and local and on clearance-OH HAPPY DAY!!! J  But for days when the sales are in hiding I found out that the Environmental Working Group also has “The Clean 15” list of produce with little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes:

·         onions

·         avocados

·         sweet corn

·         pineapples

·         mango

·         sweet peas

·         asparagus

·         kiwi fruit

·         cabbage

·         eggplant

·         cantaloupe

·         watermelon

·         grapefruit

·         sweet potatoes

·         sweet onions

·          

(You can check out this website for both the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/the-dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-of-produce/616/http://ewg.org/foodnews/)

A lot of the veggies we buy at Kroegel Homestead Produce stand (http://kroegelproduce.us/) are locally grown.  Local foods are packed full of nutrients and as far as nonorganic goes they are probably your safest bet if you can’t afford the organic prices. Kroegel’s sells a lot of local hydroponic lettuce and fruit surplus from people’s gardens so they are consistently less contaminated than conventionally grown produce.

Still, the biggest challenge for my family was to find alternative proteins. When you take into consideration that 80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in animal agriculture for non-therapeutic purposes (such as promoting growth and compensating for the effects of unsanitary and overcrowded conditions) it really makes you look for sales on organic meat and other animal products.  If you can’t afford to eat everything organic all of the time there are some things that people really shouldn’t skimp on like eggs and milk, and anything made with milk like cheeses and butter. 


Milk and milk-based products weren’t issues for us (because of Naomi’s milk protein intolerance we were already excluding them). In place of milk, we opted for Organic Rice Milk fortified with calcium and other necessary vitamins. However, when it comes to eggs I am fiercely stubborn with my organic purchases. Many people think brown eggs equals organic, but egg color is based on the breed of chicken! Either our ducks Fluffy and Baron give us our eggs or I buy organic.  They may be expensive in comparison with regular eggs but it is very worth it. The yolks are a brighter orange and the shells are thicker and harder to break, not paper thin like other nonorganic eggs. Plus the taste is just delicious and far superior to other eggs on the market.

For a while, I considered raising our own meat too. But I soon learned that my local ordinances prohibit the raising of animals for meat in my neighborhood-not that I’d be all that thrilled with the idea of having to butcher any of our feathered friends.  (Jenna would never forgive us!) I checked my local markets and asked where they got their meat from and how it was raised.  Most meat department employees blinked at me with a blank expression on their face. One guy took a stab at it but his answer was far from reassuring, “Ummm, Texas…I think?” In the end the conclusion was the same in all our major grocery stores: most of the meat originated from numerous states, raised in multiple feedlots, processed in one of a few facilities, and then shipped to the store I was standing in to be cut up, ground up, and Saran-wrapped to fill the refrigerated cases before me. Yucky! We knew that online organic distributors were too expensive for our pocketbooks so we had to find local distributors that met all our requirements.  BJ’s and Publix were two stores that carried these products at prices we could live with. 

Tyson and Perdue chicken were and are still on a permanent ban list from our household but surprisingly I found Publix Green Wise chicken was very affordable when on sale (at least twice a month).  What makes organic food so expensive is buying it prepackaged and processed. At $1.99 a pound, I was able to purchase an entire free range organic chicken roast for about $8. I’d make a mini Thanksgiving-like meal from it for one night and then strip the carcass and use the remainder of the meat to make chicken soup. Jenna and I would eat chicken soup for lunch and Mike, Jenna, and I would have it for dinner for two days before everything was gone.  So that $8 of chicken had quite a run life. 

With about 11 servings over 4 days, it equates to around $0.72 per chicken protein serving.  
If you include *vegetables, *Organic Chicken Broth and the Organic chicken roast it ran about $16 total. 
 $16 to feed three people (Naomi is mainly breastfed at the moment) for four days, that’s $4 a day! Now, who says that eating healthy isn’t affordable? Want to save even more money on organic food-grow or raise it yourself! Your family's tummy and your wallet will thank you :)

Favorite Organic on a Budget Finds
Item	What Makes it a Safer Choice for Your Family	Most Affordable Location	Price (Current prices at the time of writing)
Publix Green Wise Whole Young Chicken Roast Without Giblets	USDA GRAE A Raised without antibiotics, no added hormones, vegetarian diet, air-chilled, no artificial ingredients or preservatives.	Publix	Net Wt: 3.76 lb, Unit Price $1.99/ lb Total Price: $7.48
Publix Green Wise Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs	USDA Organic, Quality Certification Services, No hormones or antibiotics, zero trans fats, 5 g Carb per egg, and Cage Free	Publix	$3.74 per dozen
Bunny-Luv Organic Juice Carrots	Certified Organic by California Certified Organic Famers	Publix	Net WT 25 lb at about $0.60 a pound Total Price $14.99
Rice Dream Organic Rice Milk	USDA Organic, Enriched with Vitamins A, D, B12 & Calcium Lactose, gluten, & dairy free You don’t have to worry about the treatment of cows-no hormone or antibiotic worries! Plus it does not have to be refrigerated until it’s open so it is great for stocking your pantry.	Walmart	64 FL OZ (1/2 Gallon) $3.50 a container
Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth	USDA Organic Free Range, gluten-free, Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth, grain fed chickens raised without hormones or antibiotics in an environment where they can roam freely.  All organic ingredients.	BJ’s	32 FL OZ (1 QT) 6 pack costs $10.99 so 1 32 FL OZ at $1.83 is way cheaper than regular nonorganic brands.

*vegetables (either grown in our garden for free, harvested by Mike at the farm he volunteers at or purchased for $1 at Kroegel Homestead Produce’s clearance bins http://kroegelproduce.us/) 

*Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (available at BJ’s for under $2 for a 32oz container)