a little about population and health...

Just worried...

Today was terrifying. Trevor was walking into the house this afternoon and he started to cry, then turned toward the driveway. It seemed like he was walking to me, but then he kind of leaned and fell into the bushes by the driveway. His back was arched and his arms were pushed back behind him and his wrists were contracted. I had jewel in my arms and dropped down next to him and pulled him over and called to Trent. Trent scooped him up and jostled him until he started breathing. Luckily Trent has been coming home for lunch since we moved closer. When he first came around his speech was slurred, but became clear within a few minutes. So, I called the pediatrician and after going there ended up at the ER. They drew blood and made a CAT scan of his head. They found nothing wrong. That hardly makes me feel better. I just keep seeing him laying there, face in the dirt, eyes glazed, not able to move or answer me. I am going to cry just thinking about it. I am now terrified that it could happen again. The smell of the hospital brings back so many sad memories and stressful thoughts. Whew! I keep reminding myself to just calm down. I told Trevor to "just take a deep breath and blow it out" (the same thing I used when Taylor was little) while he was in the CAT scan machine. He did not like it at all. But he did hold still enough to get the 10 or so shots they needed. And, he was very good about the blood draw, considering he is just 3. He cried of course, but calmed down right after. And, luckily I remember to grab his leapster on the way out the door, so he played that and had a popsicle while we waited. As soon as we were leaving the hospital Mimi arrived to whisk him home. She and Big Daddy are currently watching him like hawks (at Toys R Us, =)) So, here I sit, fighting the urge to verify everything the ER doc said and just peek just a bit at what causes random seizures. I just know that the minute I find one disturbing fact I will be up all night researching. Then, by the time I get to the appointment Monday I will be nuts with questions. Whew! Just take a deep breath and blow it out! Maybe 5 or 6 breaths will do. Ah, screw it, I'm just going to do some yoga. Then maybe a little research. No!!!

Free your mind...

Just some fun stuff... What!! I understand everything I think I do! Who does this guy think he is!

If this is true....

I know some will not care, that makes me sad.

Now then, where was I...

ah yes, confused. I was trying to "look up" all the terms I don't understand from the studies on the chemicals in my son's hair product. I gave up. So since then, except for the few little blurbs I posted, I have moved into a new neighborhood. And, "new" fails to fully explain the way it feels to me. I grew up on about 5 acres of country, on a dirt road, shared by great neighbors, and great horses. I spent most of my away from school time on a horse farm (that had goats, chickens, ducks, alligators in the pond, catfish, dogs, cats, cows, and lots of snakes) or in the swampy land around our neighborhood. We mowed our yard, and dad hated the ants, but we didn't take pride in cultivating a particular species of grass. (You know what I mean, stop snickering.) I'm relieved to find that not all the neighbors take their yards so seriously and as long as it's green, seem happy. However, most of those closest to us have already commented on the work the yard needs when they said "hello" for the first time. This is what I said about it on part one.

The neighbors have already said we should re-sod the lawn. I refrained beautifully from telling them what I thought of people who care more about grass than food and neighbors, and started weeding the front lawn so that the grass will grow better. I am sure they think I am nuts; but, the front is so small and the sides are growing fine. If I don't weed it (which is easier than it sounds) Trent will resort to chemicals. He knows they are bad to use, but (I think) doesn't think that our not using them is really going to make a difference. I think it is good exercise and I have to be in the yard with the kids anyway, I might as well be doing something. Plus, I do intend to get food growing there soon, and I don't want the chemicals in the soil. And now the back is fenced in, so no need to worry about weeding or watering there (I bet the kids don't even notice, ha ha) But the sprinklers in the back are fun for the kids to play in for 5 minutes at a time, maybe once every few weeks (I don't want to waste water). I can even set the timer, but I doubt I'll ever use them to "water the grass". The grass better pray for rain. However, we are totally "subdivided" and I can't let the front yard "go natural".

So, now I spend an hour or two every morning and evening plucking the most obvious and voracious type of weed from our lawn. It has a red stem and grows tall and bushy and kills the surrounding grass; I know, weed profiling, but it has to go. This morning one neighbor "applauded my courage", which is kind of like saying "you're either nuts or retarded", but I assured her that "I think I can get it done." I really do, too. Even if the entire time I work on it I think, "if the grass were supposed to be here, it would be able to survive the weeds" and "I'm destroying the biodiversity of my little patch of earth". But, probably the work here to build the house did that and this particular weed may have been spared from endangerment by the construction boom. Who knows. The neighbors have their yard sprayed with herbicide and pesticide and grass feed; I saw the truck and smelled the chemicals Friday. I'm sure some of that will blow over and "help" our yard too. Yippee (not!)!! I feel like I am lost in Wonderland. This way of thinking is so foreign and yet, I knew there were people like this out there. They just haven't lived so close to me before. They are probably just as baffled/ appalled by me. Although, I really get the feeling they just think I am pathetic. I hope they don't complain about the veggies growing. Luckily the side I want to use for food is next to an empty house. And that yard is all weeds. (I wouldn't even attempt to weed that yard.) Despite all the chemicals there are still plenty of birds to watch. The only thing behind our back fence is a big property with two houses on it. There are trees and plenty of unkept area. We actually got a little video of the whooping cranes "whooping". There were six of so right behind our fence, so we gathered on the trampoline to watch. I have also discovered that a few woodpeckers frequent the tree cluster that hangs over our back fence. So, all is not lost. I will hopefully conquer the obvious weed in the front and the back is "my little haven of biodiversity".

I don't know what to say

I don't know if this really matters in the grand scheme of things. But, assuming that the answers they gave are their real beliefs and that they are both really motivated to follow through on these answers and not just "change their minds" later. (Which is ok too, if it is for the right reasons.) And, assuming that they really give two poops what we think of what they say. Here are the presidential candidates answers to the Science Debate questions. You can vote on their responses if you so choose, but it is helpful at any rate to hear what they say on these topics. Just thought I'd share. I have been working on the yard and preparing to plant some little things, and I will try to get a post up soon.

This week

"Now don't start that again." I promise, I won't get on the weekly post kick again. But, seriously, this week; this week right here... Anyway, things are starting to normalize. Although I do continue to uncover unputaway things everywhere, I am finishing the "unpacking" part of the moving in. I am pretty sure we will be parking in the garage by Wednesday. Taylor and I started playing the game again (which brings to mind the "work" to be done there) and it is fun and exciting and educational, as intended. It is a relief to see it actually working, I wasn't sure how it would work out in the beginning. The classroom stood up to the test; it successfully entertained the babies and allowed school to happen, simultaneously. We do spend some time in the library, while they play elsewhere, and there will have to be some backyard studies once the trampoline net is on. We did go for a walk around the neighborhood, which was fun. Taylor found an insects "molting" (or whatever it is called) and we had a great talk. But, now my ankle is swollen again, I don't know how it will ever heal; It is pretty obvious that I am not going to get off of it. Although, I am being forced to now by pain. Jewel's bed and dresser arrived, and they are beautiful. Now, there are some painting projects cropping up; no surprise that the "to do" list is growing. Speaking of which, we weeded the beds in the front and there are some gaps now. The plants are thrown in the ground pretty carelessly when subdivisions are built, so some of them were dead and some dying. But, I wanted to make room for some edibles anyway. I have to be careful how I plant, we have a HOA. The neighbors have already said we should re-sod the lawn. I refrained beautifully from telling them what I thought of people who care more about grass than food and neighbors, and started weeding the front lawn so that the grass will grow better. I am sure they think I am nuts; but, the front is so small and the sides are growing fine. If I don't weed it (which is easier than it sounds) Trent will resort to chemicals. He knows they are bad to use, but (I think) doesn't think that our not using them is really going to make a difference. I think it is good exercise and I have to be in the yard with the kids anyway, I might as well be doing something. Plus, I do intend to get food growing there soon, and I don't want the chemicals in the soil. And now the back is fenced in, so no need to worry about weeding or watering there (I bet the kids don't even notice, ha ha) But the sprinklers in the back are fun for the kids to play in for 5 minutes at a time, maybe once every few weeks (I don't want to waste water). I can even set the timer, but I doubt I'll ever use them to "water the grass". The grass better pray for rain. However, we are totally "subdivided" and I can't let the front yard "go natural". I'll take some pics and post about the progress on part two, probably tomorrow. Taylor starts music again tomorrow, and has been missing his teacher, so we are excited about that. I hope to get his drum set home soon, now that he has room in his bedroom for them. I wish I had used a notebook like I am prone to, because there were several times that I thought, "I can put that in the blog". But, I don't remember anything else. This was a busy, "Oh, I remember this" kind of week. While some things are getting into a new normal, some things are just new. Fun, easier, exciting, and new; this week, for sure.