Surviving Pregnancy
Some of you have been waiting a really, really, long time for me to answer your emails, and for that I apologize. Hopefully it just makes you realize that I am normal and have a threshold for what I can handle, just like you! I am not Supermom Kendra, If you have time and think it would help other moms, can you talk a little about how you survive the last 2 weeks of pregnancy and the first 4-6 weeks postpartum, when the baby starts sleeping longer stretches? We have a daily schedule, meals in the fridge, and a somewhat structured home. We have three little girls right now, ages 6, 4, and 2, with #4 due today, and obviously not here! J We are homeschooling the oldest two, and started school back in June so we could take our ‘summer’ when the baby comes, and just do as much school as we need for sanity & structure. Thank you so much for your encouragement & example! Melanie Hi Melanie- Well, if I've figured correctly, that sweet baby due "today" is now two months old. Yipes! I am behind, aren't I??? You know, my life is very different now than when I had the same ages as yours: 6, 4, 2, and a newborn. For one thing, having older kids is an amazing amount of help, and for another, I actually have help coming into my house now. I'll blog on that later, but suffice it to say that I think those earlier years when the oldest of four is just six years old are HARD. My husband can't take time off from work. Once a patient actually got upset with his receptionist when she told him that my husband wasn't in the office because his wife was in labor. Between impatient patients and running his dental practice solo, he just can't be away from the office very long. I can't remember which baby, but with one who was born in the morning, he actually went back to work and saw patients in the afternoon. I just can't rely on him for help and I marvel at the dads who are given a paid six-week paternity leave. If that's your husband, be thankful! As for surviving the last two weeks, I can tell you that I haven't been very good about it in the past. The pressure that feels like a bowling ball (you all can relate, I'm sure), the sleeplessness, the exhaustion, the constant heartburn, and my sciatic nerve keeping me in pain made those last weeks a marathon of emotional and physical endurance. But then the last pregnancy was completely different, although considering the pregnancy (my eighth), the fact that it was on the heels of a miscarriage, and my age (36), it shouldn't have been. But the last pregnancy was the first one in which I was taking a fabulous supplement and having regular chiropractic care. One or the other or both made all the difference in the world. It might be a good idea to store up freezer meals during the second trimester when we feel good. Then in the last few weeks, dinner is done. I'd also think about super-simple meals the rest of the day-- cereal or peanut butter toast for breakfast and cheese, crackers, and apples for lunch. If that's what you serve for 14 straight days, it's ok. It's a season. Oh, and eliminate or simplify snacks. You don't need a fourth meal to clean up. Oh, AND, eat outside where the crumbs don't have to be swept up In the weeks postpartum, life is about survival and being a kind mom. I'm a failure at this. Apparently day four is my worst, or so my husband has noticed. So I am already thinking about what I can do to be prepared for the day my hormones all attack at once and I am an exhausted, crying mess (wow, I sound pathetic, don't I?). I might try to see if some of my littler or "trickier" ones can have a play date at a friend's home, or if I just need to sit the older ones down and let them know that I need to be in bed for the day. My older ones are all so sweet when I have a need like that, but when I just had little ones like you, I think the best thing would have been to ask a friend to take them for the day. Take the first few weeks or months (whatever you need) postpartum to ease into life. This is a great time to invite all the children to snuggle in bed with you in the morning and turn on a short video to watch together. Take the day slowly. Don't stress about school. Enjoy the baby but insist everyone have an afternoon rest or nap time. Make hot cocoa with marshmallows and read picture books aloud while recouping on the couch. Keep the little ones close by so they aren't in another room destroying everything in reach. I am sorry it took me so long to respond to your questions, but hopefully your postpartum weeks went well. Blessings, Kendra
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Life with Preschoolers, Life with a New Baby, Nurturing MomsKendraComment
Book Review- Sacred Influence
Much of my time spent away from the blog was joyfully spent in reading books that have gathered in my bedside basket. One of the best was Gary Thomas' Sacred Influence. Written for wives on topics that may not be so comfortable, Sacred Influence preserves the Biblical dignity given to women in Scripture and by Christ when he was on earth, but at the same time it does not allow for a post-modern view of marriage or the abdication of our God-given calling as wives. Like Mr. Thomas' book entitled Sacred Marriage, Sacred Influence reminds its reader that marriage does not exist to make us happy. Marriage exists to make us holy. Thomas begins with me, the wife, and what God may be trying to teach me through my husband and marriage. He encourages wives to be contrite, honest, and introspective before turning an eye toward our husband's faults. But he does so in a way that my friend Heather describes as "smooth chocolate". Who can resist a book like that? From Sacred Influence: "The good news is that you and God are in this together. He knew, even before he created you, whom you'd marry. And he will continue to give you the tools you need to become the person he's called you to be and to do the work he's created you to do within your current relationship. God would never leave you alone in any situation: "He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deut 31:6). Even if you married a non-Christian, God's grace is sufficient for you. You cannot dig a hole so deep that it cuts you off from God's provision, care, and life-giving strength.... "
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ReviewsKendraComment
Do-Ahead Breakfasts
I love it when breakfast is ready without any of us having to whip it all up in the morning! Some of our favorite ways to accomplish this are included here. We use natural, unrefined sweeteners like Sucanat, Turbinado, and Xylitol, but you can use good ol' white sugar, too. Have fun experimenting!

Crockpot Oatmeal

2 c dry steel cut oats (not instant or rolled oats) 1 t cinnamon 1⁄2 c Sucanant or brown sugar 1 t vanilla 2 apples, peeled and diced Spray or lightly wipe down crockpot with nonstick cooking spray or butter. If you are planning to cook the grain 8 hours or longer, use 8 cups of water. If you want to cook it less than 8 hours, use 6 cups of water. Put ingredients in sprayed crockpot and cook on low.

Baked Oatmeal

2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 c oats 1 c Sucanat or brown sugar 1 c milk 1/2 c oil (I use coconut but canola is fine) 1 t salt 2 t baking powder 1 t cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9x13. You can either stick it in the fridge unbaked to bake in the morning or bake it the night before. 350 degrees, 25 minutes.

Orange-Flax Breakfast Muffins

Makes 2 dozen

These are very "hearty", but they are super filling, don't raise my blood sugar levels, and give my husband the energy he needs each morning before his swimming workout. Some of my kids like them (the baby loves them!), some don't. That's ok-- more for me!

1 1/2 c of oat bran 1 c whole wheat flour 1 c each ground flaxseed and wheat bran (or just all wheat bran) 1 T baking powder 1/2 t salt 2 oranges, peeled 1 c Sucanat or brown sugar 1 c buttermilk 1 mashed banana 2 eggs 1 t baking soda Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix oat bran, flour, flaxseed, wheat bran, baking powder and salt. In a blender or food processor combine oranges, milk, oil, eggs and baking soda. Pour orange mixture into dry indredients and mix well. Add 1/3 cup batter to each paper-lined muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Makes two dozen.

 

 

Overnight French Toast Serves 6 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 12 3/4 inch thick French bread slices 6 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup Xylitol, Turbinado, or sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt powdered sugar Spread butter over bottom of heavy large baking pan with 1 inch high sides. Arrange bread slices in pan. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt to blend in large bowl. Pour mixture over bread. Turn bread slices to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake French bread 10 minutes. Turn bread over and continue baking until just golden, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer cooked toast to plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with favorite syrup.

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Family Friendly RecipesKendra Comment
Creativity Express
As I wrote before, I am not an artist. I can do plenty of other things, but art-- oy! I really stink! Once I drew a picture of a monkey on our white board and it sent my kids into such a fit of giggles we had to stop school. To this day they jokingly remind me of the funny "blob with a tail" I drew. So as I was thinking through the 2007/2008 school year last summer, I was a little stumped in the art department. Timberdoodle, one of my favorite homeschooling resource providers, recommended a computer-based art program called Gee Art, and after viewing the sample on their website, I took the plunge and ordered it. Super. Really, really super! I learned so much just sitting by the kids as they explored its many levels with all kinds of art history facts, artist profiles, masterpieces, and even hands-on projects that allow the student to explore concepts of color, spacial relationships, and other art concepts that are a bit beyond me to pull off. The animation is excellent, done by former Disney animators. Just one problem: Gee Art was a subscription-based, online program that required internet access to use it. Since our schoolroom computers don't have internet access, that meant the kids were always needing to use my laptop in order to utilize Gee Art. No problem unless I also needed to be using my computer, too. But guess what? The creators of Gee Art have now redesigned the program to be accessed on a CD, at a very reasonable price. They also renamed it "Creativity Express". Creativity Express includes a year's worth of art instruction that meets National and State Standards for Art Education established by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations, and also meets the guidelines outlined in the National Technology Plan.
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Educating at Home, ResourcesKendraComment
Art With a Purpose
I've seen a lot of curriculum come on the market in the past eleven years of homeschooling. One of the first things I purchased was Art With a Purpose, and it has served us well with each child. I didn't realize until I was looking for the above link that the individual Art Pacs were so reasonably priced. Here I've been using the same one for every child, but at $8 per pac, each child really could have their own. I'm not an artist and I struggle to come up with projects for the little ones. Art With a Purpose Art Pacs have given me projects that are quick to pull together and not a big deal to produce. Certainly there are flashier art products on the market, but for the price and the simplicity, Art With a Purpose is a good bet. Yesterday our six-year-old spent a happy 15 minutes waiting for everyone else to be done with their school work. Here's what she accomplished:

Happy girl, happy mom, cute Mrs. Snowman.

Next time I'll write about a fabulous art program we've loved that is geared more toward the 6 and up crowd.
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Educating at Home, ResourcesKendraComment