We Are A Neilsen Family!

Call me silly, (you won't be the first), but I have always wanted to be selected as a Neilsen-Ratings family. Though we do not watch much TV at all - I have always wanted to have our TV choices "count" ... sort of like a "vote" for what is good television and what is not.

Sunday morning, I got a call from a Neilsen representative and I was giddy. (They even pay you, did you know that?) Finally, we will have a very small (virtually insignificant) say in which television shows will continue and which will be cancelled. The thing is I get giddy anytime that my opinion matters - no matter how insignificant. Doesn't everyone?

And frankly, though we are not big fans of television at all, I think that opinion should be heard as well. Television can be a wonderful tool and a supplement to one's entertainment choices ... but I feel that life is best lived when it is kept at a minimum (not to mention all the garbage that is on television). However, I admit, we watch a whole lot of Sesame Street and Deal or No Deal. So, if we have anything to say about it (AND NOW WE DO!) those programs will continue for quite some time :)

Love,

Jodi

Zen and the Art of Hanging Laundry.

I love hanging our laundry out to dry in the summertime. It is a task that puts me into a peaceful, meditative state. I love the smell of the laundry on the line. I love the look of our clothes swaying in the breeze. I love that it is a task that can be done outdoors. And I most especially love the the way the rich smells of the earth permeate my bed linens --- aromatherapy for my evening sleep.

And now Isaac loves it too. He has begun to join me in placing the clothes on the line. However, since he is much too small to reach, he simply throws the clothes in hopes that they will wrap themselves around the laundry line. Sometimes he is successful. But more than that, he is quite intrigued about the entire process. I often find him standing outside surveying the laundry line (as in the photo below). He just sort of watches it. Sometimes for up to 20 minutes. He watches the clothes sway in the breeze. He watches the shadows created on the clothes as the sun goes in and out of the clouds. And sometimes he just walks back and forth under the hanging linens to feel the fabric lightly brush against his hair. It seems that Isaac has also discovered his own form of meditation through laundry.

Namaste.

Reliving the Joy and Wonder of Childhood Through Books.

Over the weekend, Meaghan read through a couple of books that she absolutely adored. She expressed sadness in finishing them. She didn't want the stories to be over. I remember that feeling from when I was a little girl. There were stories in my own life that I never wanted to end because it felt like those friends would now be gone for good. But of course, I now know that those characters stay with you long after you finish the last chapter ... and sometimes they stay forever.

Meaghan now had me curious as to the characters and stories that she didn't want to leave or have end. So, I decided to read her recent favorite, The Giants and the Joneses. I never before thought of exploring her literary world. Now I am so glad that I did. I almost forgot how wonderful it is to just jump into a completely fantastical world with stories that are expressed through the thoughts and feelings of a child. There is such purity, wonder and fantasy in children's literature.

I do read Harry Potter and am currently feeling some anxiety over the release of the last book. So, I am not sure why I haven't thought to explore other fiction created for children ... but now I will. Of course, the Harry Potter series has plenty of adult themes and can be some what "dark" ... so when I read them, I really don't feel as though I am reading children's lit. However, with The Giants and the Joneses I knew I was reading a very sweet, adolescent, fantastical, touching story that was meant to celebrate the purity and wonderment of childhood. And it felt so good to be in that world, if only for a brief time. So, I plan to seek more children's books to bring me back into that world ... again and again ... so that I never forget those feelings.

(Thank you Meg.)

Love,

Jodi

A Letter to My Son. RE: "What We Do"

Dear Isaac,

Today, I took you to the place that I used to work at for the two years before you came home to us. So many of my former co-workers have become great friends of mine. Most of them prayed for you throughout our adoption journey. And many of them have been there for you in so many ways... sometimes in person and always in spirit.

You had a wonderful time visiting with them. They all loved on you and admired your growth and gentle nature. It was a most pleasant visit. And as always, Mommy was so proud to show off her special boy.

As we visited these friends, I was often asked questions about what I was doing with my days now that I am no longer working. And I found these questions difficult to answer. See, many Mommies either have to or choose to work during the day. And your Mommy chose to stay home with you. Neither choice is right or wrong. The best choice is the choice that is "right" for that person. And for Mommy, the best choice was to stay home and to raise you.

However, when people choose to work, they are often used to the idea of "doing something" that produces results that can be seen or quantified. They might answer a question such as "What have you been up to?" by answering something like, "Well, my team just completed this new project here that has now saved the company over $30,000. And I am now working on creating a new filing system that I just learned about at the conference I attended in Reno." Or sometimes they might defer to their personal life and say something like, "Well, my daughter just made the softball team so we have been attending alot of games. And we just began construction on a new living room. Oh yeah, and Justin made honor roll." These answers are all perfectly fine. It is just that you & Mommy can't answer those questions in quite the same ways. That is why I find these questions hard to answer.

Here are a few ways in which I answered some questions about what we do with our days:
" Oh, we mostly just hang out outside and play with the chickens, read books, and drive around on the four-wheeler.... things like that."
" Yeah, we don't come into town too often, we mostly just enjoy our family, friends and one another. We visit them and they visit us."
" We love to dance and sing and go for walks. Sometimes I do a little sewing."
" Isaac loves to hang out with his pets and prefers being outside and dancing in the grass while talking to the sky. Sometimes we throw rocks in the pond down the street. Isaac loves that."

Most of the time, people think I am a little nutty when I give these answers. But the truth is, that is how we enjoy our lives. We live very simple lives and YOU LOVE IT! You rather play in mud puddles than play with toys. You rather sing and dance than watch tv. You would stay outside all day long and simply play with the grass and rocks. And you are SO incredibly happy. One can just see it in how secure you are with yourself and with your place in the world.

And another truth is, Mommy has never been so sure of anything in her life as she is now ... I am absolutely sure that what I am doing now ... by gently guiding you through your days ... is the greatest, most profound and rewarding experience I have ever had. And that although I may not be able to speak of our experiences in terms of "results" or "accomplishments", I know that the way that we gently move through our days ... going wherever the spirit moves us ... and doing whatever feels good at that moment ... is going to achieve the most incredible result of all - your self-fulfillment & contentment.

So, though I may often feel at a loss for words to explain just what it is that we do with our days ... I am happy for that. Put most simply, we spend our days enjoying ourselves, our world and one another. (I will remember that the next time that someone asks me!)

With all my love ... and looking forward to a simple, gentle & loving day tomorrow ....

Your Mommy

Chickens on the Homestead.

I have always loved chickens ... not for eating ... but for watching, patting and enjoying. They are really amazing creatures. They are intelligent, curious, playful, and have the capacity to reciprocate affection to any human that takes the time to befriend them. In fact, I have 4 pet chickens that will follow me around the yard, allow me to pat them or pick them up, and will sit on my lap and fall asleep while I am hanging out on the porch. (Their names are Nashua, Chicken Jane, Snuggle Bug & Comet).

At this time, we have 30 pet chickens ... 28 laying hens of various breeds as well as 2 Black Australorp roosters. All are quite friendly and even allow Isaac to hang out among them (even though he occasionally terrorizes them). We have been keeping these chickens for over 3 years now ... and almost all are named.


However, now we have taken a different approach to chicken "ranching" ... we are also raising some chickens for our consumption. And I am now eating them. Though I was a vegetarian for nearly 15 years, I have been eating some forms of meat ever since Isaac came home. I decided that I wanted my son to be able to eat some meat ... and that if he did, we would have to raise it. Thus, the raising of the "broiler" chickens.

I have to admit that it feels sort of funny to have spoiled pet chickens running around the yard at the same time that we have "feeder" chickens caged up ... fattening up ... and awaiting their certain demise. And I realize that it may take some creative explaining later on when Isaac begins his questioning. But it really doesn't feel as strange as I thought it would. Let's face it - priorities change when you have children. And though I once saw all creatures as being worthy of full and natural lives ... and not to be consumed by people ... (yadda yadda yadda) ... I now have taken the "as my son needs, so shall he have" approach to life. And frankly, that means that if he needs healthy protein, than a chicken must die. And better that it be raised here in a healthy environment, under humane conditions, and fed hormone-free feed, then to live and die in a factory farm. And better that my son eats this than any other chicken or meat available at the grocery store.

So, I feel good about it. And that is what good parenting is (in my book) ... making well-reasoned decisions with the greatest benefit for your child ... even if it means that you have to rethink your previous beliefs about what was "right" or "wrong" ... and even if it means that you have to kill chickens.

Many wise and wonderful Moms that I have come to know throughout my past have made it a point to tell me that many of my strong convictions during my "child-free" years would likely change once I was raising one of my own. Of course, I argued with most of them ... professing that nothing could make me change my belief in ___________ (fill in the blank). But now I know they were SO right ... as so many ideas that I previously held have totally shifted now that someone calls me Mommy. Subsequently, I must now "eat crow" ... or at least some homegrown chicken :)

Love,

Jodi