My Parenting Bookshelf--Pregnancy/Birth

For some women, it's shoes. For me, it's parenting books. I read every one I can get my hands on. Whether I agree with them or not, I find them fascinating. I didn't start out collecting them on purpose. The first couple of weeks after my eldest was born, I started worrying about breastfeeding. Was I making enough? Was I doing it right? I picked up a couple of books.

Then, after a horrendous experience with a child abuse manual (TTUAC), I stumbled across a Sears' Baby Book for 90% off (changing editions). I started getting more books on development and gentle discipline. When Joel had the bad reactions to vaccinations, I found several books on that topic. Once we decided to do a natural birth with Elena, I got several books on that.

By the time our fourth was here, I already had shelves full of books that have helped me tremendously. Like old friends, when I need advice, ideas, or reassurance that things are normal, I go back to many of my favorites.

Since there are too many to share in one post (I read a *lot*) I'm going to break it up by topic and share pregnancy/birth this time, breastfeeding another, gentle discipline, etc. Some will overlap, of course. There are no doubt many goods ones I've missed, but here is a list of some of the best:

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Hands down, my favorite. I grew up with a lot of horror stories surrounding birth, and it was amazing to read so many happy, peaceful birth stories. The section with her advice and techniques was practical and easy to remember.

Orgasmic Birth by Elizabeth Davis and Debra Pascali-Bonaro
The title had me both skeptical and intrigued, but the actual book is very good. Again, positive stories and good advice.

Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding through Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower
When I became pregnant with Joel, Ariana was still nursing at least 8 times in 24 hours. I didn't want to wean her, but was hearing a lot of comments that suggested health risks, etc. This book is exceptionally well researched and gave me all the info I needed to nurse through pregnancy. I also appreciate the real-life stories. Nursing through pregnancy and tandeming can be emotionally and physically challenging, and she handled that with empathy, encouragement and no guilt trips.

Also-reads:
There are several others that I read from libraries, etc, but don't actually own, either because I didn't have the money to purchase them at the time, or whatever.

Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. The hippy-lingo made me smile, and Ina May is excellent.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
Tons of research and info. Not as light as some of the others, but definitely worth the read!

The Pregnancy Book and The Birth Book by the Sears. The Sears books were my first introduction into parenting according to my heart. I was so anxious to do things the "right way" and they were the first voice to give me authoritative, researched-based permission to cosleep, to breastfeed as often and as long as my daughter wanted, to respond to her without suspicion.

There were many others whose specific titles I can't recall. Some fantastic ones were lent to me by my midwife on active birth, and a couple that are mentioned in my previous pregnancy/birth/homebirth posts.

There were also, of course, some not-so-great books. I *loved* The Girlfriend's Guide books by Vicki Iovine during my first pregnancy. It was entertaining and fit perfectly with my preconceptions. After more research, I was in an entirely different mindset, however.

I read one moronic book on easy labor that was essentially an entire book on getting an early epidural, blindly following any and all suggestions by any medical personnel and being as convenient as possible for the hospital system. There was no research or helpful info other than saying that you are not being a good little girl if you ask questions or do anything without the maximum level of intervention and profit to the hospital.

There were a couple of others that just distilled all the columns from mainstream parenting magazines and said, "Well, you can *try* for an unmedicated birth, buuuuuut, you probably won't make it. Still, it doesn't hurt to learn some techniques to use while you are waiting for the epidural. Eat right and exercise right during pregnancy, etc." Generic stuff. And of course, there are a few that emphasize all the possible birth defects and complications (except complications that result from routine interventions). The "What to Expect" type of book. After my first pregnancy, I just read the weekly development of the fetus stuff and skipped the rest.

All of the books contributed in different ways to each of my birth experiences. Especially in my last two births, I learned a lot from some wonderful authors.

Next post: your baby is here, now what? books. :)

A slightly twisted GD success story

Back when I only had two, I was a bit intimidated by the thought of taking the sweetlings somewhere by myself. Now I don't even think twice about heading out with all four. This afternoon, the kidlets and I headed to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather. It was warm and sunny, with a nice breeze. We are always on the lookout for new parks, and this one was right next to the zoo. It had tons of fun things to climb on and spin around on. We were the only ones there, so we played around for well over an hour.

After the kids had their fill of climbing and running and jumping, we went to the zoo. The kidlets are always finding new favorite exhibits. This time, they delighted in the caves and bats. They wandered around through the secret passages, discovered the slide in one of the tunnels and had a marvelous time.

The kids had been very cooperative and we had all had a lot of fun. After an hour or two, it occurred to me that we were probably near the saturation point. I was right. As we headed out, everything began to unravel. They ran toward the open pond with the waterfowl. There is no rail or anything to block them from a very large water area. I told them sternly to come back. They balked. I was scared and angry. I grabbed Elena, but couldn't hang on to her and hold the baby and get the older two. As we headed toward the exit, they kept finding distractions. Then, the two year old wanted to play on all the lovely wagons at the exit and the older ones ran ahead of us while I was wrangling her. It took more physical and emotional effort than usual to get everyone loaded up and safely buckled in to leave.

Some of you are going, "Wait a minute. Is this supposed to be a GD success story? Doesn't sound like it worked too well for you there." Yes, I would have appreciated instant compliance. Although they did eventually follow instructions, we clearly need to work on some things there. The thing is, the last couple of years, I have been increasingly aware of *my* need for discipline.

Although we have never spanked, I have often felt the impulse to hit the kids when I am angry. I've resisted it, but it was frequent and real. One that I haven't resisted as effectively in the past was the temptation to yell, to shame them, to hold their hand a bit too tightly and to fume and lecture until we were all appropriately miserable.

As a follower of Jesus, though, I can't ignore Scriptures such as Galatians 6:1 "...you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful for they will obtain mercy," and of course Matthew 7:5, "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." How can I demand self-control from my children if I can't control myself? How can I tell them to walk in the fruit of the Spirit if I am not demonstrating patience and kindness in my day to day relationship with them?

I've been working on it a lot. And I still have a long way to go. I am excited to see the difference in my responses, though. Today, I didn't lose my temper, I didn't yell or try to cause them to feel ashamed, or do anything else that would cause *me* to be ashamed later. I told them clearly how upset I was and why, and explained the dangers. I didn't sugar coat anything, but neither did I harp on it or emotionally blackmail them. I got everyone to the van safely but I didn't grab them or become disrespectful to them in any way.

You see, I do believe that gentle discipline "works" for kids, this afternoon not withstanding, but even more, I am learning how it works for adults. I am so happy to see the growth in my own life. I've been working on a post to share some of the tools that are helping me a lot. Authentic Parenting is going to be hosting them as a guest blog post, and will start them on Friday. I know I am not an ideal parent, but I am slowly but surely bridging the gap between the real and my ideals. You are welcome to join me on the journey!

Trick or Treat?

There is a pretty drastic divide among my brothers and sisters in Christ over the topic of Halloween. Some see it as a benign celebration of candy and dress up, a nice treat. Others see it as a sinister day of occult rituals and Satanism, a demonic trick on unsuspecting innocents. Some fall in between.

We never celebrated the Día de los Muertos when I was small. After coming to the US, the first year we did do Halloween. I dressed up as Big Bird. My parents divorced, and my mom thought that dressing up was OK as long as we didn't do anything scary or evil. I was Strawberry Shortcake the next year.

When my parents got back together, my dad got a lot of material from Gothard and others talking about the dark side of Halloween (and just about everything else). It went into detail about pagan celebrations, child sacrifices and all sorts of grisly things. The same sources found evil aspects of just about any aspect of popular culture, including Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, any music that was not written expressly as worship music (or written in a minor key, or after the 1800's, or not classical march time, or...). Don't even get me started about the night we burned our Cabbage Patch dolls. Even "Hallelujah parties" or church "Fall festival" celebrations were viewed with suspicion, as being imitators of the world and watered-down Halloween.

I appreciate the desire for holiness and the willingness to obey God in small things. I agree that as Christians we should abhor evil. I also believe that God may convict my fellow Christians on an individual basis about participating in this and many other things. My intent is truly not to mock them.

However, as Carlos and I have talked and prayed about this for our family, we have not felt impressed with the same beliefs on this as I had growing up. So this year, for the very first time, our kidlets are dressing up and trick or treating. We did Hallowmarine at the aquarium last night with their cousin and had a great time! Ariana dressed as a bobbysoxer, Joel as Captain America, Elena as Spidergirl and our little primo as the Great Pumpkin. :) I thought all the costumes were very cute and appropriate to their personalities. Tonight they are going to dress up again (different costumes) and visit some of the neighborhood houses.

This isn't a new issue, of course. The early church dealt extensively with candy that had been offered to idols (er, something like that). I Corinthians has several relevant passages. So does Colossians 2. I would encourage any believers to read them on their own. What I have understood from them is that the only objection, as long as my motives are right, is in possibly causing my brothers to stumble. I truly am not aware of any way that our actions regarding Halloween will cause others to fall. So I am OK with them.

I've heard several objections:
origins of Halloween/paganism--Honestly, nearly every component of any celebration has at times been used in pagan worship. The church has also used nearly all of these things to worship God. Our hearts are to honor God, and I believe that He is pleased that our family is having fun together in this.

Scary stuff--Our kids haven't expressed a desire to dress up as anything particularly scary, but I actually see some cool symbolism in the way that we can face and overcome fear. This is such an individual thing (Ariana is terrified by things that surprise me at times, yet loves our neighbor's lighted Ghost Rider display).

Sugar overload--Kind of agree with this one. We might do the Candy Fairy (like the Tooth Fairy, only she takes away candy and leaves something like a coloring book or stickers). Last night they were fine with me telling them that I would put it away and they could only have a couple of pieces each day. They have had food restrictions from allergies for so long that they totally get the concept of food making them feel icky.

There are probably many other objections (feel free to leave comments). But for us, this isn't "the Devil's day". This day, and all others, belong to our Father. This is the day that the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad. And eat chocolate.

No comprendo: helping your children be bilingual, even if they don't want to be

Spanish was my first language. Although I learned English from the beginning as well, I had an accent and was more comfortable in Spanish when I was small. After we moved to the US, though, my parents stopped speaking Spanish at home, and I gradually forgot it. I always knew it was still in there somewhere, though. I began to study it in college and eventually wound up switching from pre-med to Spanish and I've been teaching it for well over a decade now.

My husband also grew up with both languages, Spanish first and then English, and has been a Spanish professor for more than a decade. It was a foregone conclusion that our children would be bilingual.

It started off well. I spoke Spanish almost exclusively to the children until Ariana was around four. Her Spanish was excellent, as was her English. Then she suddenly started showing a strong preference for English, using it all the time and answering us in English. If you are bilingual, you know how much effort it takes to keep a conversation going in two languages. We got lazy and began answering back in English, and in an amazingly short time, our children forgot much of the Spanish they knew.

Recently, we have made a concentrated effort to bring back fluency in Spanish, despite their protests. Here are a few things that seem to be working for us:

Spanish Days: At least a few times a week, I declare a Spanish day. That means that I speak only Spanish to them, and that any TV/music/computer use must be in Spanish also. They grumbled a lot at first, but now go along with it pretty well.

Surround sound: If your children don't already know a language, the amount they will learn from watching movies in a foreign language, etc, is negligible. However, with a background and/or reinforcement at home, they can pick up quite a lot. It isn't just a matter of vocabulary. They are also learning pronunciation, intonation patterns, etc. Listen to Spanish music in the car, watch TV or DVDs in Spanish. Read stories in Spanish aloud.

Travel: Obviously, this one may be more difficult, but if you can spend time in countries, especially for longer trips where they will have the opportunity to play with other kids, they will pick up a lot. They may also acquire motivation. Joel loves Puerto Rico and is determined to learn Spanish so that he can live there some day.

Keep it fun. Sing silly songs in the target language, dance together, cook together. If you are cooking, share traditions and culture, talk about the importance of certain ingredients and their origin. There are lots of happy ways to work things in.

If there is a specific reason why they don't want to speak the language, and you can find out why, you may be able to help. Were they teased or misunderstood by someone? They may not be able to articulate a reason. Often children can't put into words their desire to fit in with those around them.

Don't frustrate them. Even on Spanish days, I will translate into English if they really don't get it (although now Ariana understands virtually everything and translates it for me). If I can tell everyone is getting cranky, we take a break. I want them to develop a life-long love for the language, and don't want to make it into something negative.

Be encouraged. They may know more than you think. Even when I couldn't remember Spanish, I would still have dreams in Spanish, but I would need to tell you about them in English. A few times, when I was very tired, it was like a switch flipped. Once I was writing a letter to a friend who was taking Spanish at school, and Spanish words started coming more easily. I wrote a couple of pages, but the next morning couldn't understand half of it. I thought she would find it funny, so I sent it anyway. She couldn't read it all, but her Spanish teacher told her it was college level Spanish! If they have forgotten what they used to know, remember that it is still there somewhere.

Be patient with everyone, including yourself. Proficiency takes time, even for children. Don't give up. It is never too late, and every little bit helps. Be gentle with any correction. In fact, it is often better not to correct at all other than by modeling unless asked. I experience times in both languages where there is a short circuit between my brain and tongue, and things that I know perfectly well come out wrong. I hear it and wonder how on earth it happened. It is frustrating and embarrassing, but I've learned to just ignore it and go on.

Welcome support from other members of your family or community, even if they speak differently from you. My Puerto Rican mother in law had my two year old proudly showing off her "pinche". It was a lovely little barrette. Being from Mexico, I had a very different interpretation of that word! We used it as an opportunity for all of us to broaden our vocabulary.

Keep challenging yourself. I feel very comfortable with Spanish grammar, but find myself occasionally blanking out on vocab that I should know. Reading in Spanish helps a lot, as does listening to everything I can.

Persistence is the key. Just keep using the language every time you think of it. It is hard, especially if you are surrounded by the dominant language. I know some people have success with rules about one parent using one language and the other using a different one. If that works for you, great! If not, don't be afraid to experiment with what works best for your family.

I have been delighted to see how far the kidlets have come just in the last couple of months. They still aren't speaking it as much as English, but they have gained back much of what was lost, and as their confidence grows, so does their desire to practice. ¡Buena suerte!

Love notes

You know how when you are tired, everything seems magnified? I can feel my emotions inflating, and yet, when given the opportunity for face-to-face resolution, I either freeze or explode. My eldest daughter has inherited this tendency, and when she gets overtired and upset, it can take forever to resolve. However, the intensity of her feelings is so strong that she cannot rest or shelve it for awhile and then come back to the issue.

Last night she was in full meltdown mode, when I wrote a message to her on my phone telling her how much I loved her and that I wanted to help her if I could. She went very quiet for a minute or two, then typed out a message explaining how angry she was with me. We wound up sending about 8 messages back and forth.

I think that typing it out--especially on a phone--caused us both to think more carefully about what we were saying. Isn't there research that talks about how when you engage the part of the brain responsible for the things like typing, etc, that it moves away from the more emotional part of the brain?

I think we have all felt how, during a tense conversation, it is nice to be some place like driving in the car, where you can avoid eye contact when you feel uncomfortable and give each other space, both physically and psychologically. You are close enough to stay focused on resolving things, but you have breathing room to gather your thoughts and rein in feelings that are trying to run away with you.

As our conversation moved through the different issues, we each shared our perspectives, and moved to forgiveness and restored harmony. I was so impressed with how clearly she expressed herself, and how much easier it was for both of us to get through it without any added drama. She handed me back the phone and wrapped her arms around me so tightly. I am excited about a new tool for our toolbox, and incredibly grateful for my precious, expressive girl who is still teaching me.

A True Princess

Yesterday, Elena was watching the Backyardigans episode where Tasha sings, "I Love Being a Princess".

The folks in my kingdom work hard everyday,
Then go home to their dark little huts.
Some say a Princess should live like her people,
But I reply, "What are you, nuts?"

(Complete lyrics available here: I Love Being a Princess)

Ariana fumed throughout the entire song. "That is *not* what a true princess is like. How can she be so self-centered?! She *should* live like her people--they are important, too! Doesn't she know that they are human beings, too?" And on and on she went. My little socialist. :D

This morning, we had breakfast just us and Amaya at Starbucks. She wanted to talk about Pan's Labyrinth. (Note: it is NOT a movie for children, IMO. Carlos edited pretty heavily when she saw it. As another aside, I was excited that Ariana's Spanish is good enough for her to understand it). Ariana described in detail all that Ofelia went through to become a true princess. She talked about how important it was to protect the innocent. A *real* princess would take care of those around her.

She hummed the haunting melody of the lullaby for me, and we talked about music.

She wanted to know why the stepfather valued his son more than the girl or his wife, which led to a discussion of gender in different cultures.

We talked about Jesus, who was innocent, dying for us. She pointed out that Ofelia was innocent, too, in that she didn't deserve death.

All in all, we touched on many tangled topics, and deep waters for a six year old. Yet she impressed me with her insight and awareness of so many different issues, and her strong internal values. As far as I am concerned, she is a true princess!

Why Christians should Breastfeed in Public

Photo by zieak

I recently read a comment from Claire in Tasmania that made a deep impression on me. In reference to another mom bringing up the issue of modesty, she answered, "I've decided it's our ministry to nurse in church because
a) for those who 'don't know where to look' (which someone apparently said to the minister's wife) - it's a life skill they need to learn, and where better to learn it?
b) for everyone who reads passages in the Bible written by people who assume knowledge of breastfeeding ("like newborn babes crave pure spiritual milk"), there is so much more to the imagery there than just nutrition, yk? Peter's imagining that great big grin as your hungry baby sees that he's about to get what he wants, and the responsiveness of the relationship, and the bonding and the contented, milk-drunk smile at the end... If we don't provide that subconscious imagery, who will?"

Wow. It is only in the last few generations that so many people, male and female, have grown up *without* all of that beautiful imagery to form part of our understanding. The way a newborn, whether asleep or awake, will orient herself toward the breast. The peacefulness of a babe who has been satisfied. The frequency with which they want more (no place for scheduling here: "It has only been two hours since you read several Psalms. You have to wait another hour."). Gazing into each others' eyes, breathing in each others' scent. The trust and joy in relationship.

I think of passages like Isaiah 66:11-13 (New International Version)

11 For you will nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance."

12 For this is what the LORD says:
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.

13 As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

Verses like these have become so much richer to me since I've nursed my own children, seen their delight, held them in my arms, and comforted them. I imagine that this was the norm when the Bible was written, yet today breastfeeding has become something to do while hidden away in a bathroom stall, or under elaborate covers and blankets. Many people are unaware of the expressions and habits that nursing moms take for granted.

So, when you are out with your baby and she gets hungry, nurse her wherever you are. If you don't have nurslings of your own, encourage the moms around you with a smile and a kind word. You will be "doing unto the least of these" what Jesus would do, and may even discover some spiritual riches that you hadn't noticed before.

Nursing in Public: It's Not About Modesty

Last night we celebrated a family birthday, and my sister in law took pics of everyone. Of course, when she came around to me, the baby was nursing. Since I've been nursing at least one little one for the last 6 and a half years, no one was surprised. She posted the pics on Facebook later, and what did surprise me was that the first comment was from a sweet friend of hers who was concerned that I would be upset.

Bless her heart. I am sure that her motives are the best. She wasn't expressing outrage or offense or anything like that. But it really reminded me that in our society, for many people, it has nothing to do with modesty--merely the *act* of breastfeeding makes them uncomfortable.

In the interests of full-disclosure (sorry, lousy pun), I fully support a woman's right to be topless, if she desires. I bristle just a little when I hear people go on and on about nursing "discreetly". Who gets to decide if the woman is discreet enough, if not her? The Taliban? What if the baby wriggles while latching or unlatching and spectators catch a glimpse of *gasp* nipple?! There might be innocent children present! Besides the nursling, of course. We must reserve public display of breasts to advertising cars, perfume and other things--that is what they are designed for, after all. Oh. Wait...

However, like the other breastfeeding moms I know, when it comes to real-life nursing in public, it is just normal life for us. Where I go, my baby goes. If we are there for any length of time, she is likely to get hungry. When she is hungry, she nurses. That is it. I don't try to draw attention to what we are doing, any more than a bottle-feeding mom would stand on a table to proclaim her intentions. It is just what we do.

In the picture that provoked the lady's concern, there was no skin showing. I was actually looking over at our son who was goofing around and making faces. Yet because I was breastfeeding there was concern that it should be private (despite the fact that the photo was taken in a restaurant).

We have a very long way to go in our society. Many moms choose not to breastfeed, in part because of the misconception that they would have to remain housebound in order to feed the baby. Boobies and babies are both portable, and much easier than bottles (not to mention there is less clean up involved!). My state, and most others, have laws asserting that a woman has the right to breastfeed anywhere she can legally go. It can't become "normal" in our culture unless it is normal for us.

Chock full of chocolate chips

Photo by =-.0= 


In our gluten free days, I learned a secret: sure, the cookie dough might not be the perfect texture, it might be a little crumbly, BUT if you add enough good chocolate chips to it, it will be yummy. Chocolate covers a multitude of sins.


The last few weeks have been a bit stressful, and my cookie has been rather crispy around the edges and crumby in the middle at times, but I have been blessed with some lovely chunks of dark chocolate in there, too:

* an unexpected date night with Carlos, thanks to a gift certificate to PF Changs from SIL and BIL, and my mom and dad taking care of the kidlets. Time alone with my Beloved and the Great Wall of Chocolate--how wonderful is that?!

* tender "I love you, Mami"s from all the kidlets. Last night, Elena, who has had a rough time lately, kept snuggling and smiling at me with the most loving, trusting, expression and repeatedly told me how much she loved me.

* "Thank you"s with radiant grins and shining eyes from the sweetlings for all kinds of little things, like going to the park or expected things like fixing lunch. Sincere thanks for something routine and expected is always a gift for a mom!

* Maturity, steadiness and general lack of drama from my darling four year old. His gentleness and joy, his delight in caring for his baby sister and constant desire to give her little gifts.

* Flowers (picked from our yard) that my sweeties brought me, because they smelled so nice and they wanted to share them with me.

* Seeing Amaya break into a beautiful smile when we make eye contact. There is nothing more precious than a baby who seems to smile because of you!

* Healing hugs and massages. Ariana can sense whenever I am tired and achy, and without any prompting will come up and start rubbing my back. Even though she is only 6, she has a gift of healing in her hands.

* Carlos holding my hand every chance we get. :)

* Coffee and visits with friends who fully understand. It is wonderful when someone close to you gets it without it having to be explained.

* A lovely sunset as I was leaving work.

* Spontaneous playdates with our bestest friends. :)

* Comments, love and encouragement from friends and family. I am always so humbled by the support from the amazing people in my life. So many are facing challenges far greater than mine and still take the time to build me up.

I really am living the sweet life.

Save the Day

It began last night. Amaya was ominously fussy. Not anything scary, such as getting sick, just tummy bubbles and growth spurt nursing. She woke up every two hours to nurse, which is to be expected. Elena, being two and dealing with allergies, also woke up every two hours. She considerately alternated them with Amaya. Joel woke up at five AM when the alarm went off and wanted to come into our bed. Between them all, I did not get one hour without waking up to take care of one of them.

I woke up (the last time) groggy and with a headache. As I stumbled to the coffeepot, Ariana called out that she wanted snuggles. Knowing that I would be swarmed as soon as I went back to the bed, and that the baby needed a diaper change, I suggested that she come into the kitchen with me instead. Major six year old drama ensued. Elena was climbing everything in sight, Joel was upset because he wanted help with his game, and the baby did *not* want to be put down.

I knew that I was on the verge of losing it. I also know that the kids feed off my attitude, and the only way to keep the day from becoming a disaster was for me to somehow save it. So, I gulped down coffee and rounded the kids up for a day at the park. Once we were all safely in the van, I mentally patted myself on the back for recognizing and averting the total shipwreck of the day. At that moment, Elena vomited profusely all over herself and her seat.

I pulled over to clean her up as best as I could with a clean shirt and wipes. Elena is easily carsick, so I decided to keep going. After pulling into the left turn lane, I noticed it wasn't moving. Cars were whizzing by on the right too quickly to get out and change lanes. Joel was complaining that he was too cold, but I didn't want to turn off the AC and have the smell of vomit in a hot car provoke another round of puking. We spent a good fifteen minutes in that lane thanks to a stalled car. But I refused to be daunted! We finally made it to the park.

Despite some minor mishaps, the park was a lot of fun. We were there a few hours, most of which was spent in the sand pit. Elena had tremendous fun pouring sand all over herself over and over. Since she wasn't throwing it at anyone else, I let her go. She was absolutely filthy by the time we left, but she needed a bath anyway.

Once we were home, I turned on the sprinkler and let the kids loose in the backyard. I nursed and played with Amaya while they rinsed off the day's accumulation of grime. I was really pleased at how well the day was going. Sure, we had gotten off to a rough start, but look how much fun the afternoon had been!

Carlos called and asked if we wanted to come pick him up from work and go to a bookstore. I confidently told him that there was just enough time to have everyone dry off and get dressed and be there in time. As I went to tell Joel and Ariana, Joelito turned around with the hose in his hand, soaking my pants, which happened to be the only clean pair that fit me at the moment. We got inside and dry, and while I was looking for something to wear, Elena went climbing again. She is truly part monkey.

I came into the kitchen and heard an "Uh oh". She smiled nervously at me, the look of one who fears a reprimand but is hoping for the best. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out *what* she had smeared all over her face. She had been fingerpainting with something, but what? It looked black, like motor oil, but I couldn't imagine anything like that being accessible. She pulled her hands out from behind her back, and they, too were covered. So was the counter. So were the cabinets. So was our mail. She held out a jar of my super-duper ultra-concentrated food coloring gel. You know, the kind that you use because it would take so much liquid food coloring that it would water down whatever you are making.

I managed to get the worst of it rinsed off. She is still green, and I found green splotches in a variety of unexpected places, including my bra. ???? Thankfully, the carpet was spared. Somehow, we all got relatively presentable (except for Elena's green face and hands) and picked Carlos up on time. The bookstore was very nice, the kids had a great time and behaved well, I was able to read a little, and both babies fell sound asleep on the way home.

Saving the day sounds good, but boy, does it ever take persistence! This wasn't a *bad* day, just a normal one. I think of friends and family members who have to face far more daunting challenges every day with the health of loved ones, and am in awe at their ability to save each day, no matter how bad it seems to be. You are my heroes.