On Moving Up!

This will be my last post to www.radcliffe-family.blogspot.com. You can continue to follow my thoughts on www.thinkbigmuch.wordpress.com. I moved all of my posts and comments to the new site. Some comments may have not accurately re-posted on the new site... nothing personal, let me know if you see something amiss! I'm still learning here!

I started a blog to have a platform to express my thoughts and write about things that are interesting to me. I have kept journals or diaries before for this purpose, but there wasn't any incentive to write in a journal. When I blog, people can read what I wrote and write back to me - how fun! So, I started www.radcliffe-family.blogspot.com to write about what was happening in our family. I discovered quickly that I had more to write about than what was happening between the walls of our little house. When my friend Jessie started her blog, she came up with a cool name for it - I started a quest to find a cool name for my blog, too, something that would capture the essence of why I wanted a blog in the first place. A series of e-mails with friends and brainstorming sessions led me to start thinking and listening to those around me. My daughter was the inspiration for my blog name. I used to tell her, "I love you SO much." One day she said, "I love you BIG BIG BIG much, mama." From then on, when she wanted to convey something very large, she used the phrase 'big much' (I want big much crackers, I want big much milk, I don't want little bit fruit snacks - I want big much!)

I try to write things that make people think. Think Big Much seemed like a good title for my blog! Blogger.com did not allow me as much flexibility as I wanted for customizing my blog, so I have been searching for another platform. Very soon I will be writing about ways that you can follow blogs easily so you don't miss any updates posted by your favorite bloggers. One way on Wordpress is to subscribe (look to the right of my pages) so you will receive updates in your e-mail inbox. Thanks for reading!

On Wool Sweaters

When I lay down in my bed at night, I sigh and relax and think of the vastness of hours that spread before me in anticipation of a restful slumber. As I drift off to sleep, forgetting the stresses of the day, I feel my body and my mind relax... letting go... I doze off, peacefully. Then JOLT awake to the sound of a crying baby who decided to start fussing 10 minutes after I fell asleep... "Riley - you go," I say, as my body, now made of cement, will not allow me to get out of bed. Dutifully, he heads off to Baby J's room and spends 20 minutes patting his back. Baby J drifts off to sleep and Riley, ever so quietly tip-toes back into the bedroom, collapses onto the bed and sighs, closing his eyes, relaxing. Somewhere, in the dark beyond, a baby again cries. Can't... get... up... A discussion ensues about how the child cannot be hungry, no dirty diaper, not cold, not wet, not in pain, just not tired. And so, the baby fussed, off and on until almost midnight. I don't remember drifting off to sleep, but was woken up with a JOLT to the sound of a little girl calling her mama and the distinct sound of the frustrated, disappointed, uncomfortableness that follows an episode of bed-wetting. The time? 2:15 am. I feel my night shrinking. Shrinking away like a wool sweater that has been accidentally thrown in the dryer.

On "Mamamamama"

I have been trying to teach Baby J that calling for someone produces more favorable results than just screaming until you get attention. I've been working on resisting the temptation to even look at him when he releases his blood-curdling yelps. So tonight (a.k.a. early this morning) when the clock read but 1:37 am, and I could hear "mamamamama" gently, yet persistently wafting from his bedroom, I couldn't really ignore him, now could I?

**ADDITION**
I posted the above at 2 am. I'm also trying to work on nighttime potty training with my daughter. She does pretty well with no pull-up but when I heard her say "Mama, I gotta go pee," the clock read 3:15 am. I couldn't very well ignore her either. Then the fateful words, "Can I just sleep 'wis' you?". Sure.

I must mention that Riley heard none of this and continued to saw logs. This morning he couldn't figure out why I couldn't get out of bed. Well, I hate mornings and 5 am marked my third one for the day. Sometimes being "Mama" is like being stuck in some sort of Groundhogs Day... It just keeps starting over...

On Educating Girls

I came across an African proverb, then held on to it for a Mother’s Day blog post. I sat down to write and then I wasn’t sure what I thought of the proverb. It holds truth to me, but I am not sure if I can dissect it accurately and eloquently state it any better than it already exists:


“If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.” -African Proverb

Instead of trying to explain what this proverb means to me, I’ll give you some background and let you make up your own mind. This proverb has recently become popularized by Greg Mortenson, who is the author of the book Three Cups of Tea. Back in 1993, Mortenson had to give up on a dream to climb K2 when one of his climbing crew members needed medical attention. Mortenson took him back down the mountain and into a small Pakistani village where they shared tea and scraps of food with the climbers. In his book he says that if you have one cup of tea with a person, you are strangers, if you have two cups you are friends, if you have three cups you are family. While there, he met some children who were receiving school lessons not on whiteboards or fancy Smart boards or chalkboards or even paper, but written in the dirt with sticks. Right then and there Mortenson promised to help build these children real schools. The book is said to discuss the journey Mortenson took, and what he gave up in his own life, to realize this promise.

During his mission to build real schools for the children, mostly girls, of Pakistan and Afghanistan, he met a young girl who endured taunting and stoning on her way to and from school each day. She was the only girl who dared to be educated in her small community. She went on to read and write and eventually became trained as some sort of mid-wife and has saved many mothers and babies from death during childbirth. The young girl, now with a degree in maternal healthcare, educates other women in her village.

Mortenson also points out that “One thing you'll see is kids coming home from the bazaar with meat or vegetables wrapped in newspaper, and then you'll see mothers very carefully unfold the newspaper and have their child read the news to them. It's the first time they're able to get a dissemination of news and understand what the outside world is like. It's a very powerful, transforming thing to see that happen.” Children pass on their education to their mothers. And the girls, become mothers, and pass on the importance of education to their children. Mortenson said if you educate a girl to a fifth-grade level, infant mortality is reduced, quality of life improves and population explosion is reduced. And so, truly, educating a girl in turn educates a future mother, who then educates other future mothers…

Happy Mother's Day to the world's greatest teachers - mothers.

Sources:
http://www.stonesintoschools.com/2010/04/oklahoma_daily/
http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=11410
http://www.stonehill.edu/x13967.xml
http://www.iwu.edu/CurrentNews/newsreleases09/fea_2009PresConvo_00909.shtml
Photo from kcgotr.org via flikr.com

On Red, White, and Blue

My blog post for today is short and sweet. I think that, in America, a child should be able to wear any color or combination of colors he or she chooses on any given day. Cinqo de Mayo is not a national American holiday last time I checked. And, really? Would we send a kid home for wearing a Santa shirt on Halloween? I think not. (photo used with permission from jcolman)

On Milwaukee County Mother

I came across this video on a web search. I found it very interesting in light of some of my posts in recent months. Watch and see for yourself... (and I wanted to see if I could be fancy and embed a video from another website in my blog... woo hoo html codes! I feel smart now!)




P.S. I guessed right on the little quiz. Intuitively makes sense to me...

On Making a Decision and Being Okay With It (part III of III)

You might wonder where my opinion on the matter comes in, and why I was hesitant to post this stuff. Well, here goes. I am sick of the campaign “Breast is Best.” It makes mom feel guilty. For the most part, the people I talk to about babies are adults who have chosen to have children. They understand the importance of making good decisions. They understand the responsibility of raising a child. And yet, they dive in, head first, with the heart full of love and their head full of… well, questions. None of them would do something to hurt their child. None of them would deprive their child of any experience. They are all good mothers. You know how I know this? Because all of them have struggled over the decision of whether to breast or bottle feed… cloth or disposible… cry-it-out or co-sleep… pacifier or no pacifier… Robeez or shoes… and the list goes on.

So, back to Breast is Best. Yes, I agree, breastfeeding is natural. It is produced biologically for our bodies to create the perfect balance of nutrients (unless it no longer produces fat). Our bodies were made for it (unless it causes excruciating pain or the child cannot properly latch on). And, its convenient (unless you have to go back to work and your production does not keep up with demand). Oh, and it creates a unique bond between mother and child (unless you cry while you’re doing it).

Two mom friends have called La Leche League for support, but those volunteer mom’s of the League were so busy knowing that “Breast is Best” that these moms felt WORSE after talking to the La Leche League volunteers. Really? Is that how we want to do things?

Am I against breastfeeding? Absolutely NOT! I support my friends and family who want to try it and I try to be honest and kind to them. I loved breastfeeding James. Am I against formula? Absolutely NOT! I had only formula, my daughter had formula. Many of my friends have given their infant formula after returning to work or weaning their child. Baby J now drinks formula.

But, I am against the “Breast is Best” campaign because, I think that every woman should have the knowledge and information available to make an informed decision. My opinion is that breastfeeding is best when it works out for mom and baby. My hope would be that every woman would try breastfeeding, but the truth is, it does work out for everyone. We need to stop making people feel guilty for their choices. We need to let them make a decision, and be okay with it! “Best” in my opinion is when mom is happy, baby is happy, and all is well!

P.S. In all of the situation listed above, the “baby” in question was a girl. I’m just sayin…

P.P.S. None of the names of these moms have been included, but you know who you are and thank you for sharing your stories with me through the years!

P.P.P.S. For all of you people who read my blog from Facebook, sign up for a Blogger account so that everyone can see what you're saying! You have great comments!