HEALTHY KIDS

Some of you may have read some links I have put on here by Jon Gordon, The Energy Addict. Another one is below. This one is about healthy kids.

Last week, I noticed Harry’s stomach seemed upset. He may have had a stomach bug, as I seem to have also picked it up, but at the time I was wondering if it was from all of the bagels and such he was getting at daycare. I have my own love/hate relationship with bread. I love it when it comes attached to my pizza, but I hate what it does to my body, my mind, and my sinuses! I have had my share of health problems over the years, from interstitial cystitis to non-allergic rhinitis. All of my problems are corrected when I follow a very strict diet of only whole organic foods and lots of distilled water. Easier said than done!
While my DOCTOR, a very well studied woman who is an international expert in pelvic floor issues, agrees with me and treats my condition mostly with water and help from a nutritionist (this treatment is not to placate me. It is supported by medical journals and The Interstitial Cystitis Association recently spoke on Capital Hill about the condition and its treatment), other people accuse me of hypochondria (one of these 30 year old, taco-bell eating accusers is having a medically necessary colonoscopy as we speak). Perhaps I am more sensitive than others. Or perhaps others just have not experienced the difference a change in diet can make.

I am back on this topic after a half hour lecture from my new personal trainer (one month to go before Harry turns one to lose my last 8 pounds! Pulling out all the stops!). hDelvin was so passionate about fruit as vitamins, no sugar, clean water, etc., that he did not realize he was preaching to the choir. I have experienced first hand what good nutrition can do for you. Food is fuel. And medicine. A good diet and some exercise can pull a person out of depression. It worked for my own patients when I was a residential counselor. I started them walking three times a week. Within less than a month I had my own following that I would pick up and drive to the lake. They started eating better and cooking good foods for themselves. They lost weight, smiled, and were proud of themselves. I have also RUN pediatric ADHD trials. I have spoken at length to families with ADHD kids. I have seen, as I am sure you all have, what happens at family dinners once the kids get desert! And I think some kids may be more prone to the effects of sugar and preservatives. If you are not, great! But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Not everyone becomes addicted to alchohol, either. Doesn’t mean alcoholism doesn’t exist. Not everyone has been to Mt. Everest. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

My dad is becoming diabetic. He is not overweight. What did his diet consist of this time last year? Donuts! And Peeps! He used his lifetime supply of sugar half way through his life! Now he cannot have any.

So, with the information below as a reminder, I will be printing this information for Harry’s daycare provider, to remind her that he only is to eat Organic foods, only have bottle water (with fluoride for his teeth), and no overdoses on dairy and bread. I understand he may be tempted by what teh other kids eat, and a little bit is okay, butteh bulk of his diet shoudl be healthy.
Kevin has actually been better at sticking to this than I have. It is hard to follow. You only have a few minutes to prepare meals for the boy. It is hard to meet the criteria of being quick, nutricious, hand held, not a choking hazard…It is difficult, but it is worth it! I do cheat, though. I, myself, have been known to drink diet coke (among other things, but this is the worst). I feel awful after! I have also given Harry cake. And, as if in some strange parallel universe, I was doing this while getting evil looks from Kevin and listening to my friend Lisa tell her own child that she hoped he enjoyed his first birthday cake, because he would be back to eating greens for quite some times. Now, for people like my dad who assume brown rice is what you get from the Chinese Take-out guy, she meant veggies.

Raising Healthy & Positive Kids
by Jon Gordon


When did hot dogs, French fries, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and soda become the staples of our children's diets? When did it become normal for children to play hours of video games instead of playing outside? And when did it become ok to have cookies, donuts and candy as a daily classroom snack in our schools? As child obesity, diabetes, depression and ADD rates climb faster that you can say super size me I have become passionate and determined to help reverse these alarming trends. Consider the following:

· 30% of the nation's kids are overweight or on their way to being too heavy.
· Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked to Type 2 diabetes.
· A number of epidemiological studies have reported that up to 2.5 percent of children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the U.S. suffer from depression. (NIMH)

Whether it's a lack of knowledge about nutrition and exercise, a lack of energy, a lack of time or all of the above many parents are causing their children undue harm and setting them up for a life of unhealthy habits without even realizing it. The foods we are feeding our children and the habits we are allowing have lead to a dramatic decrease in their health and wellness.

I get very frustrated when I see my child's elementary school cafeteria serving fried chicken patties, fried tater tots, French fries, hot dogs and other fast food quality meals. I get motivated to educate when I see adults with poor habits transfer these habits to their kids. And I become angry when I see well educated informed parents, many of them I know personally, exercise, drink water and eat fresh salads while their kids play video games, drink soda and eat processed foods filled with chemicals, preservatives and other multiple multi-syllabic ingredients we can't even pronounce. Instead of a homemade brown bag lunch many of these parents are sending their children to school with a prepackaged Lunchable. Have you ever read the ingredients in a Lunchable? They even have a waffles, pancakes and cinnamon roll lunch combination. For Lunch!!! Lunchables are so popular Oscar Meyer has produced billions of them and parents are buying them by the shopping cart. These parents are either taking the easy way out or they are not making the connection between their children's diets and their health, brain function and happiness.

Even more than adults our children's growing and developing bodies and brains need nutrients, vitamins, water, minerals, healthy fats and protein from whole food sources to function optimally. Their bodies are made of 70% water and we're fueling them up with soda. Their body knows how to utilize water yet it has no idea how to process the chemicals in soda. Their bodies know what to do with fruit but it has no recognition of a fruit rollup. Just as a natural flowing river becomes polluted by toxins and chemicals our children's natural bodies are being contaminated by the hundreds and thousands of chemicals they consume each year. In fact there are over 6,000 synthetic chemicals used in the processed-food industry. The FDA says most of them are safe but they also said that Vioxx was safe. Shouldn't common sense prevail? We were meant to eat foods that come from nature. We weren't meant to eat chemicals made in factories.

There's also research that demonstrates a link between consuming too much soda and sugar and weight gain. Fifty-six percent of 8-year-olds drink soft drinks daily and a third of teenage boys drink at least three cans of soda per day. Research shows that for every additional serving per day of soda consumed the risk of becoming obese increases by about 50%. (Lancelot. February 2001) In a Harvard University Study 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn't. (Lancelot)

In addition, the more added sugar in a child's diet, the less likely the diet contained grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy. Children with the highest level of added sugar intake had the lowest consumption of most nutrients and servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy(The Journal of Pediatrics). It's no wonder only one in five children consumes the recommended minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day, while the top 10 sources of carbohydrates in children's diets include sugary soft drinks, cakes, cookies, jam and fruit drinks. (National Cancer Institute)

We pump our kids full of sugar, toxic chemicals, food colorings and then wonder why so many are overweight with diabetes and being diagnosed with ADD. But instead of changing their diet we put them on Ritalin-and the vicious cycle begins. Consider that for many children there is another way. In a study published in the June 2004 Archives of Diseases in Childhood involving 1800 three year old children, some with ADD and some without, the children's behavior measurably improved after a one week diet without preservatives and artificial colors and dramatically worsened on the weeks they were given preservatives and artificial colors.

And let's not forget the other key component to this health crisis-Lack of exercise. Nearly half of American youths aged 12-21 years are not vigorously active on a regular basis. For many, television and video games have replaced good old fashion kickball and hide and seek in the neighborhood. On average kids, ages 8 to 18 devote six hours and 21 minutes a day or 44 hours a week to recreational media use including; watching television, using the internet, instant messaging, playing video games, or downloading music. (Kaiser Family Foundation)

The problems are clear cut. Kids are moving too little and eating too much of the wrong foods and too little of the right foods. While I often hear from many parents that they just don't have the time to feed their children properly or it's just too hard, I just can't accept these excuses. Is there anything more important than the health of our children? Who ever said doing the right thing was easy? But here's the great news. It's easier than many people think. It's all about habits. Raising healthy positive children is not easy because old habits are still in place. But once a healthy lifestyle becomes a habit it becomes easy. The key is that we have to change our habits. Then the habits become a part of our children's lives and they benefit physically, mentally and emotionally. Then we all benefit. So what are these habits that will help our children grow strong, healthy and positive?

http://www.jongordon.com/positiveandhealthykids.htm

http://www.jongordon.com/documents/7DayHealthyandPositivekidsplan.pdf

May your day be filled with boundless energy!
- Jon

Harry’s First Birthday is just around the corner.

On his actual birthday, April 22^nd, we will be spending the day at the zoo, and possibly eating cannoli’s in the afternoon.

There will be a limited crowd, as this is a Friday, and since they do not recommend having parties at the zoo until you are 4 years old.

But, if you want to join us, let me know! I will give you the details.

His party, the one we were somewhat coerced into having, but are nonetheless looking forward to, will be on Saturday, April 23. All are welcome. Invitations will be going out next week, but if you do not get one, you are still welcome to join us. It will be a casual gathering at the house. And how do I phrase this properly…presents are not required. Seriously. Harry has lots of stuff already. It has just been recommended that we all need to get together more often, so this is the main reason for the party. There will be cake. Beer. Soda. Most likely food from Chicken Out. Some balloons. Kevin said no ponies. Also no blow up castles. Maybe next year.

But, and how do I say this properly? If you do feel the need to buy something because you are, say, his immediate family, I am not lying when I say that he wears a 2T. 24 months is probably just as good. He does fit in 18 months, but use your judgment. He has a big head and a big butt. He is not that into videos at the moment. He can use some swimmy diapers…the size above 26 pounds. Beach towels are cool. Peek-a-block toys. CHEAP PLASTIC TOYS are his favorite. Request toddler toys the next time you get a happy meal. He will be thrilled. Russian language books. Pictures of himself. He has more books than a library, but we could use a place to put them! He likes swings that go high, so a nice big oak in the backyard would be awesome!

By the way, Harry's other favorite thing to do is growl. Like a monster. "Rooooooooooooooo-arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

Hey, you out there with kids, tell me how long this will last!

Harry spent this afternoon not just putting all of his blocks in his bucket, but pretty much everything that would fit (mostly telephones, remotes, little balls).

He then decided the little balls went in the ball popper, so those went in their rightful place.

Then, at dinner, after finishing his yogurt, he picked up the other items from his tray (okay, it was Veggie Booty, I confess) and put them all in his empty yogurt cup. Every single one!

Everything stayed where it “belonged.” Nothing was dropped on the floor. It was so odd! I had read in the toddler book that this might happen, but I never believed it!

It's a momentous day... someone's turning 30:

Climbing.

Harry climbed to the top of the stairs today! I suppose I should have discouraged this behavior, but as a rock climber, this was one of the highligts of my life thus far! I stayed two steps behind him the whole time, and the carpet is heavily padded...It was very cool!
He also let me walk him down the driveway with only ONE hand! As you may know, Harry has a significant preferance for only walking while holding on to two hands. Looks like he may be walking soon. Bye bye chiropractor!
Kevin had food posioning last night, for possibly the 10th time since I have known him. This meant I had to wake up with Harry last night. Sure, he'd been sleeping through the night the whole time I was gone, but last nigt he woke up. He may have gone back to sleep, except that I am the morning person, so he saw me, and could not have been more awake. Totally freaked me out too, since I have been catching glimpses of way too many previews of The Ring 2.
Since Kevin's Hockey refs are off strike (not NHL but Mt. Vernon rec league) he had a game tonight so we missed two birthday parties. But we did get to BBQ with the Barnets. Lindsey and Miguel were visiting. Harry got to flirt with everyone.
Oh, and Harry had a blast with the accountant today! He got all dressed up in his polo shirt and grabbed his cellphone to head out to Rockville. Big surprise, he is now a fan of calculators!
Harry also chased Bailey today and played on his swingset. I think he is more than aware that his swing sucks. It is a baby swing. He likes the slide though. After a couple of tries, he wouldn't let Kevin actually sit him at the top. He just kept trying to slide right down. It was funny. Harry is a blast! I don't know how we got so lucky. He is such a happy kid.

Practice makes Perfect!

After weeks of intense practice, this evening, at long last, Harry was able to get each of his 4 Baby Einstein stackers on the yellow pole...repeatedly! The whale, the bear, the cardinal, and even tiny little Bard, the poetic dragon. Kevin and I were ecstatic. In typical Harry fashion, this was a non-event for him. I am so proud of him for sticking with it!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Chapter 1: Bashful
Chapter 2: No nigh nigh!
Chapter 3: Thing 1 and Thing 2!
Chapter 4: Crazy Giggles in the Pool!

As many of you know, we took Harry to Orlando this weekend. Kevin was against it at the start, seeing as he was 30 the first time he got to go. I, however, needed a vacation, and I figured Orlando was a baby friendly locale. I was hoping Harry might learn to walk before we went, but he did not. No problem though. We hit REI with our Dividend dough ($3.82!) and bought a Kelty Baby Backpack (Kevin hates strollers).
Bags packed (5 for Harry, 1 for Kevin and me to share), we headed out to the airport. For some silly reason, I lost my preferred status with US Air (FMLA in 2004?) so we flew, gasp, coach! But, little man could not have been better behaved...Except for the potentially disruptive giggles! He didn't learn to walk in time for his first big vacation, but he did learn how to wave and say "Hi!" and "Hello!" Of course, as soon as someone says hi back, he gets embarrassed and buries his head! It is hilarious! Hopefully his confidence will improve once he gets used to this newfound ability to interact.
So, after a very fun plane ride, with lots of "hellos" from strangers, Harry had an even more fabulous time in the parking garage, proving once again, it's the journey that counts, not the destination. Once we got the carseat into the rental, though, the mood changed...A lesser car seat! Horrors! Once again, goin' coach, and not happy about it. You thought mommy was unhappy not being in First Class, little Harrison was even less happy to not be riding in his Britax carseat. Happy to know he appreciates the finer things, but more than a bit worried by the meager size of his bank account! Better break it to him now that he's not likely to be driving a Mercedes on his 16th birthday...at least not a new one!
Harry loved the hotel though. He could touch whatever he wanted, his toys were there, there was a big window for him to gaze out of...And a wireless keyboard to play with! I think we were all pretty excited about that one!
Once the crib finally arrived, it took Harry all of two minutes to fall asleep. He was well rested when we headed to the pool at around 7:15 the next morning. How things have changed!
After a few laps, we changed out of our suits and walked around Disney's Boardwalk to go to Epcot Center. About 7 minutes after arriving, Harry was passed out in his back pack. So, we headed to Canada and had a lovely lunch in a dimly lit Steakhouse. Harry woke up long enough to have a bite of roll and some trout. This is what I'd had in mind though...Not saying I wanted him to sleep through his vacation, but there aren't too many fine restaurants that you can bring a baby to!
After Canada, we had to have canolis from Italy. You have too! And I broke down and gave some to Harry, also. He LOVED it! I did not love sharing, but I did...
We hit Mexico and Harry seemed to like the maraccas. I bought him a little one and he shook it for the rest of the day. He really liked the large ones, but seeing as it was so close to Kevin's head, we agreed the little one was somewhat safer.
Ended up at the Living Seas. While waiting in the dark lines, Harry started to get anxious. Scared? No. Not really. Now that he can communicate, it seems he only cries because he doesn't want to go to sleep. "No nigh nigh!" is the response we now get in darkened rooms, if we lay him down for a diaper change, if he gets sleepy...Best I can tell is this kid just doesn't want to miss anything! On a side note, though, since I didn;t mention this before we left, Harry also said his first big sentence: "I want my mommy!" Crazy, huh!? This was in response to a diaper change. Of course, I, his mommy, was the one changing his diaper at the time, so I don't think he knows what the phrase means. I think he picked it up from Susanna at daycare. I could swear she said it a couple of times when I picked Harry up the other day. His enunciations are not perfect, but you can definitely tell what he is saying.
Day 3 we got an early start to Disney. We arrived at around 10:30. We first needed to grab a bite to eat. Although he doesn't always eat all of it, it is really cool to be able to order food for Harry off of the menu now. Grilled chicken strips and applesauce were a hit, but he was obsessed with his bottles the entire time. Perhaps thirsty from the heat?
I felt a little bad that Harry spent so much of the day in his pack the day before, so I made sure he had more time at Magic Kingdom to stretch his legs. His first ride was the carousel. He seemed intrigued by the horses. After that we strolled over to a little mini water park near Ariel's Grotto. There a bunch of preschoolers, Thing 1 & Thing 2 included (two little boys in perfectly suited red T'shirts bearing the names), ran around on a spongy floor through a bunch of sprinklers and mini geysers. Harry was way into it. He giggled and squealed and gave big belly laughs. Of course, the one picture we have barely shows him smiling, but take my word for it, running through the water with the other kids was the highlight of his trip, and worth every bit of money we spent to get him there! (Even worth my having to run through the geysers with him, since, as mentioned, he does not walk).
We hung out and waited for the 3:00 parade on Main Street. We didn't know how he would do, and he did start to get antsy in the hot sun, but once he saw that the people in the parade waved at him, he couldn't have been more pleased! Still, enough was enough, and it was time to go. Headed to the bus, but the bus was late. Spoke to a kindly little man from England. He gave his new buddy Harrison a Pluto "badge" (I call it a pin) that we attached to his backpack. Once the bus arrived, he got his second wind and played peekaboo with a few of the kids on the bus. Even though they seemed to be kindergarten age, they all seemed to enjoy the responses they elicited. Kevin and I did, as well, later at the pool. Little man still had the giggles going! For some reason, splashing around in the pool was the funniest thing ever (just as waving always is...he doubles over with laughter!)! No photos of this (as you can tell, I like to look at all of life as a Kodak moment). He seemed to be reacting to both of our interactions with him, so there was no way to get the camera. I think his expressions and happy little sounds will be something that ill stay with me for a long time though! Like I said, worth every penny!
Home again, home again...back to outine. Back to his Baby Einstein stackers, his books, his fingers in Bailey's eyes...

Kevin's Right!

Harry can speak on the phone now! And know what else? It is not just babble. He says Hello!
He called me at work today (in my home office, from the living room) and said hello! And he said hello to Pop Pop twice yesterday in the car.

He also says hello when he puts a rattle to his ear, a bottle, his arm...
Menike told me he spends half the day in the corner, chatting on his phone (a plastic cordless).
So, he doesn't have a kitchen set, or a vaccum or whatever. He has a laptop and a cellphone. Now he just needs a brief case to put his work in (Mimi's Toes, his flashcards, his alphabet chart...).

Off to Orlando tomorrow. I am hoping that Harry's newly found attachment to me will come in handy on the plane! Perhaps he can sit still and chat on the airfone for a bit...

Wracking my brain for a good song lyric around telephones... Nothing particularly memorable comes to mind other then the clip from the Wall where Mr. Floyd is calling collect back to England from the States for his wife and the lover keeps answering... nevermind.

Telephone metaphors come to mind because Harry finally figured out how to talk back into the phone today!

During one of our regular dinnertime chats with Uncle Kris, I once again held my phone up to Harry's ear, but this time, he answered! Usually he fights it, and turns his head toward the earpiece (naturally, where the sound is coming from), but today, he went right on talking like it was old hat!

Well, with this newfound talent, it was certainly as good a time as any to leave a few messages on Kim's cell phone so she'd have some audio bytes of the little man while on the road. Based on the email later in the evening that her phone battery was dead, chances are that she hasn't yet had the opportunity to listen.

Ok... So he's not walking yet, but the things he is doing are incredible. He's becoming very sure of himself, assuming of course he's holding on tightly with 2 hands (let one go and the phrase "sack of potatoes" immediately comes to mind). He continues to love his daycare group. He gets a huge grin on his face on our way up the steps in the morning, and you've never seen a toothy grin so wide as when you come through the door to pick him up at the end of the day.

He's finally back to sleeping through the night again. Some of you may note that we said something very similar to this a few weeks ago after recovering from Harry's latest ear infection & flu battle. True, he got back to sleeping well, but of course, with the lovely variations we've been having in the DC weather lately, He had another cold, thus keeping him up in fits. As any good-natured 10 month old should be, Harry was eager to share his cold with his loving father, and I certainly do appreciate it. Well, he seems to be over it now, while I certainly am still in the thick of it. Hopefully our jaunt to visit EPCOT this weekend will help us all out.

Now, let me point out (yet again) that yes, it took me 30 years to make it to Disney World, and yes here we are headed back again ALREADY. Ah well... I'm looking forward to it, if for no other reason whatsoever, to get away from the aforementioned DC Weather.

My last entry ended with a bit of a surprise at how quickly this first year is going... Here's a more indicative point of comparison. My 6 month contract with AT&T has run it's course, and upon my return from Florida, I will begin my tenure as a full-time employee.

Here's what Harry looked like just before I started:



And just a few days back:



Trust me... It's more than just longer hair.

Much more!

Cool new stuff!

Harry had mashed potatoes for dinner. That was fun to watch!

The past couple of weeks his favorite book has been Mimi’s Toes. It ends up in various places in his room, and he finds it and takes it to the futon where he stands by the edge and reads his book. This will occupy him for 5-10 full minutes. Sometimes he hands it to me to read to him. I could not be more thrilled that he likes books as much as he does! He just loves them!

Harry spent at least another 5-10 minutes tonight trying to get Bard the Poetic Dragon (the small green guy) back on his stacker (impossible to find the old school stackers, so we have the Baby Einstein version). It was so cool to see him persist at trying to put Bard on the little pole. You could see his coordination improving with each try!

Harry also found the trunk on his little car. He learned how to open it, put the brown bear stacker in there, close it, open it and take it out again. He stuck with it until it got easier and easier. I so admire his determination!

It is so cool to see these processes occur. In my mind, it has helped me to understand the processes of learning by viewing it the way a person with a brain injury would need to re-learn something. I know, most people do it the other way, but this way makes sense to me. And it is all just amazing!

Lately, I have been struggling with negative energy. I like to be a positive person (sometimes bordering on perky), but lately I seem to be surrounded by people who bring me down. I know other people like to be surrounded by positive energy as well, whether they realize it or not. And I certainly want my son to be a happy person, someone others like to be around, and someone who enjoys his own company.
I grew up surrounded by people who dreamed of vacations that were within their reach, never taking them. People who spoke in terms of “one day,” knowing full well one day would never come. One day only comes if you make it happen. So many quotes come to mind to describe this: “All men die, but not all men truly live” (Braveheart) or “Ships are safe at harbor, but that’s not what ships are made for” (Unknown)…and most appropriately, “Just Do It!” (Nike). I know I can drive my dear husband up a wall by insisting that anything we decide we are going to do must be done now. He has started asking me my time frame, for anything from “Harry should take Karate” (when he is 3 or 4) to we should go to Florida (it is possible I booked the trip before telling him).
I love television as much as the next person, but I don’t want to sit on my ass watching it for the rest of my life, while eating chips and a cheesesteak. I don’t want Harry to do that either (but I do plan to be careful that he does not become over scheduled).
On another note, Jennifer Lopez was on the Today Show today. When Matt Lauer asked her if this year was better for her than last year, she looked genuinely confused. Her response was “Just because things don’t go 100% the way you want them to, doesn’t mean it’s been a bad year." I fully agree with that statement. I think I even wrote about it the other day. I hope Harry grows up to see things this way, and I fully intend to guide him along that path…the path to having smiling eyes, a firm handshake, and an easy smile.
I found this article today in my hotmail account. I have dealt with fatigue for years. I blame yeast and dairy, but it is something that is difficult to remove from your diet in this country. So, again, I was watching the Today Show and this guy Jon Gordan was on. He sends me free newsletters, and they have some good tips. Tips like drinking green tea, not hitting snooze and staying positive. If you are interested, read on. I especially like the tips at the bottom, and I intend to work on them.

Have a "Big Bang" Mindset

"Power is the faculty or capacity to act, the strength and potency to accomplish something. It is the vital energy to make choices and decisions. It also includes the capacity to overcome deeply embedded habits and to cultivate higher, more effective ones."
-Steven R. Covey

Life is a choice. And everyday you can choose to have a big bang mindset. You can choose to believe that you create your life everyday through your words, thoughts, choices and actions. While we have all been created, we now have the opportunity to create our lives one thought, one word, one choice, one action, one energy source at a time.

Where Richard Carlson tells us not to sweat the small stuff, and he's right, I believe that life is all about the little things. We don't create our lives by focusing on the big things. The big projects, the big promotion, the big car, the big house. Rather we create our life by doing the little things and allowing the big things to happen. If we read one book a week for 30 years that equals 1560 books. That's a lot of knowledge. If we put basil in a burrito instead of cilantro the taste would change dramatically. The difference between rain and snow is only a few degrees. They say football is a game of inches. To reduce crime in New York City, Mayor Rudy Guilianni focused on preventing small crimes. What he and the world found out was when you arrest people for small crimes you get big reductions in murders and other felonies. As someone who has owned restaurants, I have found that a restaurant's success is all about the little things. Success is built one customer, one meal, one ingredient at a time. Our lives are no different.

When we have a big bang mindset we accept responsibility for our life. We know that we have the power to create success or succumb to failure. Our life is the result of each choice we make and each action we take every day. A positive thought leads to a new opportunity in your life. A positive conversation with a group of people leads to a plethora of new friends and contacts. Walking in the morning before work makes you feel more energized which leads to a promotion. Choosing fruit, nuts and raisins as snacks instead of snickers bars and chips on a daily basis makes a big difference in your health and energy level. Drinking Green Tea instead of coffee in the afternoon day after day will increase your energy over time and help protect you against cancer. It's not the big things that you do once that matter. It's the little things that you do every minute of every day that means everything. With a Big Bang mindset you realize that life is a series of seconds and moments that when added together equals your life. You are a work in progress, a creation that is still being created. Therefore with a big bang mindset you seize each moment to create the life you want. You create your life one thought, one word, one choice, one action at a time.

Action Steps

1. Focus on your thoughts. Are you choosing positive thoughts or negative thoughts?

2. Focus on your words. Are you surrounding yourself with positive words or negative words? Are you speaking positively about life or are you always complaining.

3. Focus on your choices. Are you making good choices that benefit you or bad choices that hurt you?

4. Focus on your actions. What are you doing to create your life? Do you have a good plan and not follow through or do you take action on your positive thoughts and plans.

May your day be filled with boundless energy!
email: jon@jongordon.com

phone: 904.285.6842

web: http://www.jongordon.com

Very exciting news today!

As noted below, normally when I go to pick Harry up at daycare, he comes bounding across the room, giggling. Today, he was strapped into a really cool, age appropriate, car shaped rocker. He actually held up his arm as a person would to say hello, and actually said "Hi!" All in one motion! It was fabulous! The coolest thing!

Happy Kids

It is amazing how far Harry has come, especially when it comes to bath time.

He has enjoyed his bath from the start, but was so attached to his little bath hammock, he continued to lounge in the baby tub long after he was able to sit up. But, as you all know, he tends to linger near the 95% and we were having trouble squeezing him into the tub. So, once our bathroom projects were complete, it was time fro the big bath.

The big bath was enjoyable for him, and he allowed us to complete the task at hand, but he did not express much interest in his toys. He would sometimes pick up a duck or two, but that was about it. This has significantly changed over the past couple of weeks. I now stack most of his toys around the tub where he can reach them, and he crawls and walks all over the place making sure every last one is in the water with him! His favorites are his alphabet letters and his little plastic fish.

I know we are lucky to have a happy kid, but I like to think that most inherent traits need to be encouraged or dissuaded. I like to also think we are good parents. It seems easy for us. But I also think a great deal of that is how you define easy. We were well versed in what to expect, so have not been blind sided by anything so far. We constantly compare notes with friends. Share books. Definitely share toy and video ideas! And a lot of the reason Harry is happy is because we sing to him, jump around like idiots, do “scary feet” (The Monsters, Inc. version of the “happy feet” exercise), make silly faces, etc. We smile at him, he smiles back. He really doesn't have a choice in teh matter.
We try to stimulate him, but also let him do his own thing. This is what the parents I know also do. What we define as good parenting is always on our minds, and is constantly evolving. Evolution is important, or we will cease to exist as a society.

A person I know asked me the other day if Harry is in daycare every day. Others have asked me this as well. It is not so much an unreasonable question, but the tone that comes along with it undeniably sometimes is. The judgemental voices usually come from others who did not seem happy with teh ones that they have made. Or else fault peopel like me for our stupidity. But I was formula fed. I obvioulsy hav ea sub-threshold IQ. But, since the last person who asked me this was too overwhelmed with her own life to listen to more than a yes/no answer, I felt the need to document my views on daycare here.

• Harry goes to daycare every day. Our child is adaptable, but he thrives on consistency. I have actually begun picking him up later in the afternoon, rather than at 3:00 like I used to. Changing his schedule affects how he sleeps, how he behaves and even how alert he is when he gets home at the end of the day. We seem to have more quality time when we pick him up at the same time each day. This doesn’t mean we never give him a day off. After all, we do enjoy his company.

• While Harry is in daycare, he does not have to be dragged all over town running errands. We accomplish what we need to while Harry is “at school” and we spend quality time with him during the other 16 hours of the day. He will go to teh store sometimes with him, but usually because he needs an outing.
  

• My mother worried that when Harry went to daycare he would be neglected and left in a corner. Turns out, he is the life of the party. I was a shy kid, more than likely so was Kevin. Harry seems to have no trouble making friends or speaking his mind. We are working on that last part, especially when it comes to sticking his hands in Bailey's eyes and tossing holding his sippy cup over the edge of his highchair tray like a madman threatening to jump.
  

• Others worry children will become too attached to their caregiver. Harry is attached. Yes. I view this as a good thing. He looks forward to seeing Menike and his friends. He makes it clear when he wants someone to pick him up. And they oblige. But he has no trouble leaving. Ever since has been able to, he cruises across the room towards us, huffing and puffing like a puppy dog and squealing with glee. I see nothing wrong with providing more people for Harry to love.

• I have heard parents say that only they can raise their children the way they prefer and instill the proper values. The thing here is, we CHOSE our provider from hundreds in the area. We screened her, got to know her, checked references. Her values are similar to ours, and in areas where they may differ, she respects our wishes. And Harry learns about diversity in the process. Seriously, do you really think we would leave him just anywhere? EVen when we send Bailey away, it is with a ten page list of rules and only to people with similar values (those who will let her sleep in bed with them).
  

So, as you can see, we are very happy with our choice. Being stuck at home with a mother who is exhausted and lonely and feeling guilty about her choices is not necessarily best for a child either. Some moms do a great job at home with their kids, and learn how to balance their own needs as well.They often have other friends who stay home, or join Mommy Groups (unless they served Vodka Tonics or were part of a Baby Jogger Fitness Group, I think I would kill myself first, but I also never thought I would dance around by myself to Toddler Tunes). I put these latter women in the good mom category. Someone who “does not take (enough alone time) to shave her armpits,” as my friend Lisa puts it, in my opinion, is doing a disservice to her child. And these are the exact people who seem to question my choices. I don’t like these people. I feel better with highlights, a pedicure and a good workout. I feel better having meaningful employment. I feel better sharing Harry equally with my husband. I think Harry is better off for it. Children deserve mothers who shave their pits! Maybe that can be the name of my new group. Anyone interested? We'll be serving Vodka Martinis.