word log.1

when emma was born i had bought a baby book to record her first year stats and some of her firsts.  i had big plans for that baby book: print out photos and paste them in their proper sections, fill in all the blanks, write little notes of some of the unique things she did.  i wasn't going to leave one page empty.

4 years later, the book is not finished (and it only goes up to 3 years).  photos that i meant to print out are still in my computer...waiting...ever so patiently.

i bought a baby book for gibson too.  i had the same big plans, and the only thing i've recorded in there are his height and weight stats and a handful of his firsts.

i'm going to buy another baby book for this next baby.  i know i will have big plans to finish it.  and i know it will sit for years, half finished.  just like the other 2.  hey, at least i'm consistent.

honestly, i don't really feel that bad about it.  most of the special memories have been recorded here.  on this blog.  but even with that, i know that i have been a little bit more neglitient in sharing some of gibson's exciting firsts (unlike the first child).  did you know that he's been walking now for the past month or so?  it's just so cute to watch him pad around the house, his fat, little feet going pitter-patter trying to catch up with his big sister.  *sigh*

 anyway, i digress.  this post is meant to be a word log for my little man.  it's not supposed to be anything fancy or eloquent.  just a straight up list of words he can say amidst all of his babbles.  it's meant mostly for me...so that i can remember that feeling of excitement i had listening to him form words and identifying objects on his own years down the road when all the kids are older. 

so without further ado, i present to you gibson's 16 month word log:

• bird
• minum (drink in indonesian)
• bear
• dog
• ball
• star
• spoon
• nack (snack)
• kacker (cracker)
• emma
• daddy
• mama
• lolo (hello/phone)
• baby
• guy
• dodo (dinosaur)
• book
• no.  or i suppose it should be more accurately written as NO.
• nao (nose)
• beebee (berry/blueberry)
• tee (tree)
• caw (cow)
• duck
• quack
• wow-wow (flower)

of course there are so many other words he can comprehend but can't yet form on his own.  and there are times when frustration takes over him because he cannot quite clearly express his wants and needs.  his sign language has been a little slow to pick up but i suppose that's our own fault since we haven't been as diligent about signing words with him as we did with emma (he only knows change, more and milk).

and there you have it.  the word log.  i like it.  i think it may make a comeback sometime down the road.  a little dull perhaps for you, dear readers, but this mama is pretty excited.

wordless wednesday::mira!

introducing my beautiful new niece, mira, born september 11 to my sis and brother (who took these great photos).  i am a proud auntie and can't wait to meet her in person!

more wordless wednesday here and here.

top ten tuesday

instead of coming up with my own top ten today, i thought i'd share with you an article i came across via the organic consumers association facebook page.

the article is originally posted here (with links to sources for their information), but i'm going to re-post the article below sans source links.

[top] 10 freakiest things about frankenfish:


10. Frankenfish Aren't Animals, They're "Animal Drugs"
Obama's FDA is regulating genetically engineered salmon, a genetically modified organism (GMO) that is the first of its kind, not as an animal, but as an animal drug.

Normally, a veterinary drug would be used for health purposes, but there's no therapeutic benefit associated with jacking up salmon with the genes of an ocean pout to make it grow twice as fast. On the contrary, genetic engineering increases the poor salmon's mortality, disease and deformity.


So, why would the FDA treat a the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption like a drug? The idea came from the biotech industry. They knew that the FDA's animal drug process would keep companies' "proprietary" information secret, while limiting public participation and downplaying food safety concerns. Genius.

9. The GMO Part of the GMO Salmon Isn't Being Safety Tested
Since 1992, the FDA has operated under the legal fiction created by the Bush-Qualye Administration that there is no risk associated with the human consumption of genetically engineered plants and animals. The FDA explains that DNA is Generally Recognized as Safe, so genetically engineered DNA is safe, too, and it doesn't have to be safety tested.

8. Frankenfish DNA Could Change the Bacteria of Your Gut
A human study conducted by the UK's Food Standards Agency found that consuming genetically engineered soy can result in "horizontal gene transfer," where the bacteria of the gut takes up the soy's modified DNA. With GMO salmon, the bacteria of our digestive tracks could take up the modified genes of the eel-like ocean pout, but the FDA isn't looking whether this would happen or how it might effect our health, because...

7. If It Swims Like a Salmon, FDA Says It's Safe to Eat
Instead of reviewing the safety of consuming genetically engineered salmon DNA, the FDA food safety review is a simple quacks-like-a-duck-style comparison of genetically engineered and normal salmon for hormone levels, nutrition, and allergenic potency.

6. FDA Lets the Frankenfish Company Test Its Own Product's Safety
The FDA's food safety review of GMO salmon consists of collecting data produced by AquaBounty, the company that wants to sell it. Not surprisingly, that data is seriously flawed.
* AquaBounty did not always segregate, or even collect, data specific to their AquAdvantage GMO Salmon. And, FDA did not require AquaBounty to produce data in the actual conditions under which the salmon will be commercially produced, so we don't have food safety data on the Panama-raised, triploid, monosex AquAdvantage Salmon that people will be actually be eating if the FDA grants approval.
* FDA did not require AquaBounty to show that AquAdvantage and normal salmon were similar when raised under the same conditions. AquaBounty's food safety data for genetically engineered salmon did not have to match data for its control salmon. FDA compared AquaBounty's data for genetically engineered salmon to data for farmed salmon raised under unknown conditions and data for salmon from other scientific studies.
* AquaBounty only tested a few fish, making it less likely that its food safety studies would reveal statistically significant differences between genetically engineered and normal salmon.
* AquaBounty's detection levels were often set too low to produce food safety data for comparison.
* AquaBounty selected which fish to test, and unblinded samples.
But, even with all of the flaws and biases that likely hid differences between GMO and normal salmon, it's clear that Frankenfish isn't same...

5. Frankenfish Is More Carcinogenic
GMO salmon has 40% more IGF1, a hormone linked to prostate, breast and colon cancers in humans.

4. Frankenfish Is Less Nutritious
GE salmon is less nutritious than normal salmon. It has the lowest omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of all the salmon in the studies FDA reviewed.

3. Frankenfish Is More Allergenic
GE salmon have mean allergenic potencies that are 20% and 52% higher than normal salmon, increasing the risk of potentially deadly allergic reactions.

2. GMOs Can Mess a Fish Up! (But, Salmon Are Already Deformed by Factory Farming)
The FDA notes evidence of "increased frequency of skeletal malformations, and increased prevalence of jaw erosions and multisystemic, focal inflammation" in the tissues of GMO salmon.
Most people wouldn't be too surprised to learn that genetic engineering can mess a fish up. What might shock you is that the FDA dismisses these findings as "within the range observed in rapid growth phenotypes of non-genetically engineered Atlantic salmon."
The abnormalities FDA found weren't much worse than those currently plaguing the factory farmed salmon selected for rapid growth and subjected to the physiological stress of intensive production. "Screamer disease" deforms 80% of Chilean salmon and "humpback" spinal compression is found in 70% of Norwegian salmon operations.
Thanks, FDA, for letting us know that factory farmed salmon are so messed up! But, that's no reason to turn them into Frankenfish!

1. The Government Wants More Transgenic Fish and Less Wild Fish
The main justification for GMO salmon is that it could "reduce the pressure on wild fish stocks". But, consumption isn't the primary pressure on wild Alaskan salmon, which gets a "best choice" rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program. The biggest threat to wild Alaskan salmon is the destruction of their habitat.
Ironically, as Paul Greenberg, author of the new book "Four Fish," explains, "While the government seeks to boost farmed salmon supplies through transgenics, it is simultaneously letting wild salmon go to pot."
The spawning grounds of wild salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, are threatened by the international mining giant, Anglo-American, which plans to construct Pebble Mine, the largest open-pit copper and gold mine in the US. Two months ago, a copper mine failure in China's TingRiver killed millions of fish. A similar disaster at Pebble Mine could mean the destruction of a quarter of a billion pounds of salmon, curiously, about the same amount of GMO salmon Aqua Bounty hopes to produce. The EPA could stop Pebble Mine through the Clean Water Act but has failed to act.
Greenberg writes, "More transgenic fish, less wild fish. You have to scratch your head at a government that's planning that kind of seafood menu for its citizens. Instead of endorsing a risky experiment in genetic salmon modification wouldn't it be better if our leaders protected wild salmon habitat? In the end we'd have just as much fish on our plates and a safer environment to boot."

as the primary grocery shopper for the family, i do try to be conscious as to what i buy.  GM animals and plants don't seem natural to me, so as much as the budget allows i do try to buy organic and/or local produce and meats whenever possible so that i may hopefully avoid coming across GM products.

or maybe i'll just raise my own animals and my own produce.  or maybe i'll just not eat anything anymore...

back to the bridge :: ingenuity fest!

we made it to ingenuity fest on saturday and stayed for a couple of hours before my our hungry tummies got the best of us.  although i missed the dancing portions of the festival there were still plenty of things to see, hear and touch.

the old trolley level of this bridge was a happening place this past weekend.

bustling with people young and old!

never too young to appreciate art.

work-in-progress as we crossed the cuyahoga river.

resting on a lovely tubular cardboard chair.

old steps leading down to another level of the old subway system transformed into art.

hello!

ha!  very clever...

i can't wait until next year!

do something :: weekend september 24 - 26

this is one of the weekends i've been looking forward to all year.  here's a quick line-up of some of the things we're considering.  enjoy your weekend!

 9.24
last year, i posted about the bridge project, an extension of ingenuity festival.  well...it's back!  i've been looking forward to this event since we went last year, keeping my eyes and ears open for the official dates and times.  unfortunately, we won't be experiencing it as a whole family this year since the 2 older kids will be out of town. but i don't think it will stop the rest of us from going.  unlike last year, i believe this year ingenuity festival is going to be held at the bridge as opposed to adding an additional event.  so i think this one is going to be BIG.  the festival starts tonight from 4 p.m. - 12 a.m.  then continues tomorrow from 12 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  free admission.  check out the schedule and plan your day at the bridge!

9.25
teddy bear day is at the zoo saturday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  all kids with a teddy bear or other plush toy will receive a free zoo admission with a paying adult.  the bears are one of our favorites to see at the zoo, and the grizzly bear is aaron's favorite.  there will be scheduled activities going on and programs highlighting the care of all the bear species at the zoo.  and if you're special bear is feeling a bit under the weather, be sure to stop by the teddy bear clinic so the bear doctors can check him (or her) out.

9.26
if you like being transported back in time and getting a glimpse of what it was like before all these homes, cars and electricty, then you might not want to miss fall fest: 18th century festival at the brecksville reservation.  we had such a great (though brief) time last week that surely this event will not disappoint.  you will have the opportunity to quilt, card and dye wool, and sample some 18th century foods (apple cider and honey just sound so good!).  the event runs from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and is free to the public. 

Jakarta 2007
photo credit: michelle vinje

the lakewood public library will be hosting welcome to indonesia as part of their sunday with friends program.  when i saw this, i had to do a double take.  and then once i realized it was really in the program i got just a little (well, maybe a lot) excited.  it's rare that i see any indonesian centered programs around here (this is the first i have come across in 5 years) so this is not one i want to miss.  i had planned to take emma with me so that she can learn more about her heritage, but i don't think she will be home in time (yeah...i'm slightly disappointed in this).  too bad.  i really think this would have been such a great opportunity to expose her to some of her indonesian culture without having to shell out the $1,400 round-trip plane tickets.  this is a free event beginning at 2 p.m. at the library's main auditorium.  i think i might come out feeling a little homesick.

wordless wednesday::shake those hips

haven't quite mastered the fine art of hoolahooping just yet...

more wordless wednesday here and here.

a whirlwhind experience of pioneer life

our plan was to check out the cedar valley settlement and music festival yesterday after the kiddies' afternoon naps.  well, we did.  but we got there half an hour before everything ended.  oops.

although we didn't get to try our hand in candlestick dipping, churning butter or listen to the bluegrass music, there were still a few other things still going on before the festival ended.  since the pioneer activities were set up through out the trails right outside the nature center, all you had to do was follow the path into the woods.

there was corn flour being made along the trail and emma got to try her hand at grounding up kernels.  the set up to grind the kernels was fairly ingenius.  physics...used even in the old pioneer days. the demonstrators had only managed to accumulate one small bowl of flour since the start of the festival, which is really enough to make one corn muffin. i can't imagine how long it would take to make 5 pounds!  that would be some MAJOR upper body work-out.

then we stopped at another station to make some buckeye bolos. even gibson got one although i think he was more interested in playing with the dirt.  i think bolos were used for hunting, but i don't know how effective it would be using buckeyes (maybe it might work to capture small animals?).

after a very helpful demonstration, we had a go on our own, but obviously our skills were not as refined as mr. bolo expert.  ty was particularly persistent in mastering the technique, and was quite occupied through out the rest of the day with his new tool weapon.  see...video games and ipods can't compete with the buckeye bolo! 

the advantage of coming so close to the end was that we were able to collect some extra buckeyes to make a lovely buckeye necklace (since there were pre-drilled holes in them already) and even some for the kids to play with at home.

the last stop we made before everything was officially done for the night was at a clearing along the trail, where we were drawn to the noise there.  it turns out, set out among the clearing were simple items like old washboards, spoons, muffin tins, and pans that people were using to make music.  thanks to dave henterly and his unique concotion of musical instruments, visitors enjoyed an opportunity to make some music together.

since this is an annual event, hopefully next year we'll be able to go for a little longer.  despite the short visit, i think everyone enjoyed being outside, experiencing nature and learning a little about the ohio past.

oh baby :: why i choose natural birth

this week marks the 15th week of my pregnancy.  this will be my 4th pregnancy experience, and (Lord-willing) hopefully the 3rd pregnancy that i will carry to full-term.

thinking back to the very 1st time i got pregnant, i had no idea that i would end up choosing the natural birth route...for both babies.  i hadn't even heard of a midwife until i became pregnant.  i was pretty much unaware, uneducated and ignorant to much of the information and options out there about pregnancy and childbirth.  the only thing i knew about childbirth was from what i saw on TV, like TLC's a baby story or from fictional movies involving unrealistic depictions of a mother giving birth.  the majority of what i saw were women in s.e.r.i.o.u.s. PAIN.  screaming and grunting their heads off in a hospital bed, looking stressed out of their minds.  yeah...that really made me look forward to labor.

deciding to choose a midwife for my first pregnancy was purely accidental (well, i suppose it wasn't, since i now see it was part of God's plan all along).  i got pregnant w/ emma when we just moved to the cleveland area.  i had no clue who to see, and upon the reccomendation of my mother-in-law i was told to check out dr. marjorie greenfield.  as it turned out, she no longer did deliveries so i had to find another option.  fortunately, the receptionist referred me to ellen margles, a nurse-midwife that practiced in the same hospital/office as dr. greenfield. she was available when i was available, and the journey towards natural childbirth began from there.

[on a side note which might be TMI for some of you, i have never seen a dr. for any of my gynecological check-ups prior to being pregnant.  i've always seen a nurse, so deciding to choose a nurse-midwife for my prenatal and childbirth needs didn't seem too far of a stretch for me.]

since midwives were quite foreign to me, i decided to do my research.  there was certainly a wealth of information about midwives online, which then led me to do more research on pregnancy and the childbirth process.  one of the most helpful books i came across (thanks to a kind friend) was pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn.  they were very thorough (as thorough as a "guide" book can be) on all aspects of childbirth from covering pain managment (natural and medicated options) during labor to cesarean sections.  understanding the scientific process behind childbirth and the purpose for all those labor pains gave me a new perspective on giving birth.

additionally, i spoke with mamas about their own personal chidlbirth experiences, and read lots and lots of birth stories from here and here.  i think that really led me down the road to natural childbirth, and prepared me for what to truly expect when the big day arrived.  of course, it also helped that i had a very supportive care provider who had years of experience in her profession and was herself an amazing resource for childbirth education.

i didn't wake up one day and decided: "i'm going to deliver naturally." it was certainly a combination of different factors.  there was the research...those photos of women getting epidurals FREAKED me out (seriously, go look them up). a needle going up your spine? no. thanks.  i wasn't willing to take the risk (even if it is just 1%) and have some of the side-effects that could be associated with them.

then there was the spiritual aspect.  how would i cope with the pain, especially if it's severe, without any medications?  i think the Lord really led me down this path of natural childbirth so that i can draw closer to him.  it may sound silly, but meditating on his word and leaning on him for strength was what i needed to get through labor and deliver my babies.  it was so surreal.  indescribable. i am so thankful for where all that research has taken me. 

i didn't choose natural childbirth to prove myself something.  i didn't choose natural childbirth as some sort of rite of passage.  i didn't choose natural childbirth so that i could have bragging rights or make others feel bad that they didn't have the same opportunity. although i am a strong advocate for allowing women to have the option of natural childbirth made easily available to them particularly in the hospital setting (i have my views on this somewhat touchy subject...but i'll save that for another post), i am not here to judge on other women's birhting choices.  after delivering 2 babies naturally, i have come to realize that my choice in natural childbirth is a way for me to give God all the glory.  he deserves all the credit for seeing me through to the end.  and i know that he will be with me (through the pain, through the sweat, through the trials of labor) when the time comes for me to meet this wee one.

sparx city hop

what better way to spend a gorgeous, saturday afternoon than hopping around town on a trolley checking out the sights of clevelad?

the 8th annual sparx city hop was last saturday, and i am so glad we got to go!  if it wasn't for those darned naps, i think we could have easily spent all day hopping around the different central cleveland neighborhoods.

since the event was so spread out in different areas close to downtown, parking was not even an issue.  we started our journey at the wooltex gallery where cleveland handmade market made their home for the day.  just at this one location, there was already so much to see.  artisans had their wares set up inside and outside of the building, art was displayed on the walls, and enjoyable accordian music was playing right outside.

and to top all that, simple, black railings that lined the sidewalk proved to be quite entertaining for our kids (we seriously spent at least 20 minutes just outside messing around at the railings...who knew?).

after managing to pry our children away from the railings, we hopped on the packed trolley and took a ride down to the asian town center, a newly constructed building feature another asian grocery store (doing happy dance) and an art gallery of sorts on the 2nd floor. 

just outside the building, we stopped by to talk to the bubble wrap lady on stilts and enjoyed a short performance (particularly emma) by a group of young dancers (she was impressed by the smallest and youngest girl in the group).

while on the 2nd floor, we came across one particular artist, gadi zamir, that created some impressive paintings out of old tree trunks and wood pieces.  his pieces incorporate the knots in the wood into the painting itself, and if i hadn't been told that i don't think i would have noticed at all.  some of my favorite pieces of his work were the tree trunk slices (is that what you call them??) he turned into one of a kind tables (SO awesome to have one of these at home).  you could still see the tree rings through the paint.  seeing this was perfect timing since the week before emma had just learned about tree rings at the nature center...great way to reinforce what she had learned and to see someone create something beautiful out of an object that may not seem like anything at all.

back on the trolley, we ended up taking the long way back to our starting point.  fortunately, this was a treat for the little ones.  they liked being able to ride around without being strapped in, and there was plenty of visual stimulation from the window to keep them entertained.

back at our starting point, our appetite got the best of us and we stopped for a simple lunch at artefino art gallery and cafe.  on the way back to the car, we could not resist the lure of the sidewalk chalk and make our mark before heading home.

if you missed this event, i highly recommend planning to attend for next year.  this is such a fun way to tour some of cleveland's neighborhoods, see some interesting art, and meet new people.  and if you have kids, this is such a practical way to learn about the world around them and get them exposed early to art and art appreciation (for example, during this outing emma learned about texture and depth).  one thing to note though, if you plan on riding the trolley and you have a small tot like we do, ditch the stroller and take the baby carrier.

do something :: weekend september 10 - 12

so, we have been so busy doing stuff that i haven't gotten around to posting the weekly happenings around town.  just because summer is over, there are still plenty of things to go out and see before the deathly cold and snow arrive.

the following list are some of the things we might check out over the weekend.

9.10

the monthly tremont artwalk starts tonight from 6-10 p.m.  parking is quite difficult to find in the neighborhood so if you plan be prepared to walk.  or you can try taking the bus down there too.  if you haven't been yet, make sure to stop by lilly handmade chocolates for their wine and beer tastings.  yummy!

my dear husband will be performing tonight with his band, scoliosis jones, at now that's class.  they always put on a great show, and this evening they'll be performing with wolfboy slim, the chop tops and lords of the highway.  show starts at 9 p.m. and it sounds like a full night of music!

9.11

saturday, we will most likely start the morning (after breakfast and coffee) by heading to the wooltex gallery to check out the cleveland handmade market.  i don't know if i'll purchase anything, but i love seeing the fantastic work offered by all the local artists.  plus, this event will also be in conjuction with cleveland's annual sparx city hop event.  there looks to be A LOT going on with this event, from city artists at work open studios, tower city street fair, and asian town center a.r.t fest.  the market will be running from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. , though some of the times may very for the other events. i think we might have to plan ahead and pick and choose exactly what we want to see that day.

though we'll most likely be spent from the sparx city hop, you can also check out the lakewood community festival being held at madison park from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.  we went a few years ago, and it was a great opportunity to just get out and celebrate the community.  it will probably be a little more low-key than the sparx city hop if you're looking for something a little more "relaxed."

9.12

this sunday will be the last picnic of the park of the year for cross point.  boohoo.  i love our summer picnics at the park, and i'll be sad to see end.  this sunday's theme will be a hawaiian luau.  last year, we brought some tasty fried SPAM and pineapples.  it went over so well, that i think we might consider bringing that again.  if you haven't tried fried SPAM, it truly is a hawaiian favorite.  and if you'd like to try it, make sure to stop by lakewood park, sunday at 5 p.m.  [seriously, if you'd like to go call or text us so we know to expect you.] there will be some calling your name...

paper beads

yesterday, we attended a little birthday celebration for one of emma's friends.  like us, i know her mama and papa also try to minimize the whole getting presents aspect of the celebration.  but at the same time, one of my greatest joys (and one i hope to pass on to my children) is being able create something personal and (hopefully) unique to give as gifts.

so...taking a look around the house to see what we could create, i noticed that we have unintentionally accumulated quite a collection of old, unread rolling stones magazines.  then i recalled (with the help of a link my sister sent about her etsy shop to jog my memory) that in art class a looooonnnnngggg time ago, i made a necklace out of paper beads.  aha!  a perfect project that will allow emma to be involved in creating the gift.

there are plenty of tutorials out there on how to make paper beads (just google "make paper beads" or "paper bead tutorial").  some are very simple and some a are little bit more involved.  but here are the basics for making the beads:

1. gather your materials: old magazines, glue stick, mod podge, a pencil, and a small paint brush or sponge brush.

2. cut the magazines into skinny triangles (doesn't have to be too precise though try to make it as symmetrical as you can) the long way.  i believe, the skinnier your triangles, the narrower the beads.  one page of the magazine was sufficient for what we needed. be conscious of the colors on the particular page you choose to cut your triangles.  colorful pages will have a different effect in its finished bead form as opposed to monochrome, dark or black pages.

3. roll the non-pointed end of the triangle over a pencil until it covers it one time through.  take the glue stick and apply onto the rest of the triangle.  make sure you have the right side of the triangle you want facing out (the one that will be the outside of the bead), so that you're applying the glue to the "wrong side" (the side that will be the inside of the bead).

4. use the pencil to help you roll the triangle all the way until you get to the pointed end of the triangle strip.  apply additional glue to the end if needed.  pull pencil out.  repeat process until you have the desired amount of beads.  since this part is a bit tedious, i did pre-make a few ahead of time and had emma make the remaining 2.

5. dip your brush and take a very small amount of mod podge.  apply a thin coat to the outside of the finished bead.  blow on it a few times.  once it feels tacky or mostly dry, set it down to dry completely.

6. once all the beads feel dry, string them on a string (any old string will do, but the stretchy kind is pretty nifty to have) to make a necklace or a bracelet.  we threaded our string through a blunt needle first to make the bead stringing process easier for ms. emma.  if you tie one end of the string to an object wider than the hole of the bead (we used an eraser), the beads will not fall out as you're stringing them.  this helped a lot, since emma was doing the stringing.

and voila!  a little bracelet!

wordless wednesday::watch out for fly balls!

one of the last warm days of summer was spent watching america's favorite pastime with friends.  but at this ballpark, spectators can enjoy the game from atop an open field.

blankets were spread out on the grass, the kids running to and fro, and parents mindful of the possible fly balls that could come our way..

more wordless wednesday here and here.