Friday 4: A crazy week in review

Friday Four! Week In Review

There is never a dull moment in our family. I could never share everything that happens, but this week, I wanted to at least share the highlights. I should seriously call myself a Never Stay At Home mom….Anyhoots enjoy!

Wee Olympics 2012

The Olympics’ are NOT over!  Our version, Wee Olympics’ has just began. On     we gathered up some of our friends (and even strangers kiddos) and headed for the park. Our babies aged 2-13 completed adorable obstacle courses, jump rope endurance, and even motor skills challenges. Everyone was a winner that day and celebrated with a treat from Mickey D’s. (Don’t tell me that you didn’t know they had a 400calories & under menu). Now the seniors of Bishop Madison Senior Living facility wants a piece of the action! How cool is that? So Wee Olympics has continued till the 29^th to give these old school athletes time to warm up for the maze, musical chairs and bag toss. (I wanted to get a dance together but-the wee’s didn’t like the music) To be continued …..

QC Super Mom goes international!

The breastfeeding story has taken off.( Click here to see news video) It has been shared all over the US and even in the UK. I pray for the day that breastfeeding would be a norm over bikini tops in the grocery store or daisy dukes at the family picnic. Here’s the story in case you missed it.

DNC –Charlotte. NC 2012!

So it’s true. I dabble in politics. It frustrates me so much I try to limit my conversation about it in public. But with the DNC coming to my town this year…..I will still remain cool as a cucumber. HOW? By helping one of my stay at home mom’s/sahm build her business, helping other moms attend it and getting my teen aged daughter another baby sitting gig.  I have a mom that a cupcake baker & will be a vendor at this year’s Democratic Nomination Convention. So, yours truly came up with a brilliant way to help everyone. Can you say leverage? Everyone will be working together for a common good. She needs administrative help, my other moms want to attend the DNC & help a fellow sahm. My daughter will babysit her young daughter. In return, cupcakes for everyone, our children’s next b’day party will seem like the Cake Boss himself made a visit. Talk about a  win-win-win  situation!

Love Handles Be Gone!

After growing up on a southern diet, nine children, college life, and not working out for 5 years, my waistline and arms are beginning to expand. I see eating well has kept me healthy & feeling good, but …I can’t deny the power of motion. Over the years, I’ve became a HUGE fan of supplements (they save me time & the good ones actually work) I know there is NOTHING that compares to a GREAT workout. I used to go at 5:30am & loved it! I sweated off almost 80lbs and felt great! Now that we moved and have settled in a bit, I can pick up where I left off at in the gym. Heck, it’s right up the street. I could actually walk there! Well, gotta run, these sweatpants from college aren’t gonna squeeze on me themselves! Have a safe and family fun filled weekend!                                                                                -QC SuperMom

 

Pictures from the 2012 Wee Olympics (part one)

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Wednesday Wow! Breastfeeding In the QC

A newborn baby has only three demands.  They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence.  Breastfeeding satisfies all three.  ~Grantly Dick-Read

Being a mother is challenging enough. Keeping up with the physical, medical, educational, nutritional and social pursuits of my children is almost impossible. I do this for 7 busy kids (1 college sophomore, 1 in high school. 1 in middle school and 4 under 5years old) and a husband, who happens to be a veteran and a college student as well.

Needless to say being equipped and organized is a must.  Knowing a little about the law comes in handy too since there’s such a fine line between being legal and unlawful. One law we discovered was that mothers have a protected right to breastfeed in public.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-190.9 (1993) states that “…a woman may breastfeed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.”  This means that a breastfeeding mother is not in violation of indecent exposure laws.

So that meant that if I chose to, I could whip my breast out and nurse away and no one could say a word. But we found out that not everyone at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system knows this. On August     2012, I entered the library with my husband to scan & email some time sensitive official documents to the V.A. . Because they only had one pc that could do this, we had to make an appointment to return.  On the second trip there my 2month old got hungry. I thought this would be a quick visit, but it wasn’t so I shift him inside my white, thin, cotton shirt to feed him. The only thing visible was his soft curly brown locks. Seconds later a library volunteer approached me(twice),then the female security guard (twice), and finally the older female  supervisor. The message was consistent, plain and clear. I cannot nurse at the computer. I had to stop, get up and go into their 8x10ft nursing cellar. I refused each time telling them I knew my rights and not only were they violating my rights as a library patron, but also as a breastfeeding mom.  As a public/government building, servicing that particular target of the community, they should know these laws.

I left frustrated and disappointed  with the uncertainty if my official business had been taken care of because my computer time expired before any confirmation that it was sent. Once I got home I wrote a letter. I asked for an public apology and that yours truly be paid to educate each library employee of the rights and benefits to breastfeeding. Instead, they mailed out a letter apologizing for the humiliation and said they were merely suggesting that I had the option of using it. I know this isn’t a new story, but where did we get so messed up in the head to think that feeding your child in public is a taboo thing? As a mother with daughters, I will do all that I can to  ensure that the day they do have a child, they will be equipped with the knowledge, education, and peace of mind to breast feed their baby.

This story has been shared internationally.

Here’s some of the comments: (I have the RIGHT to choose which ones I share)

M. RaidenandCarolyna’smom P. I’m feeling the urge to go sit and nurse my babes in this library and will be going so in the near future! I would absolutely embarrass the pee out of anyone who attempted to harass me about my legal rights in a second. Outrageous. More power to this mama! I hope I get to meet her at some point so I can high-fiver her for being awesome and doing the best thing for her little one!

A. Elliott News flash! Just heard from the library, it’s all a misunderstanding, the nursing room is there for the mammal-deniers (people who don’t believe humans are mammals) to hide in when the hordes of lactating activists (lactivists) insist on nourishing their offspring.

See more-

Friday 4: World Breastfeeding Week

Noah nursing…..just as he was moments ago at the library.

This has become to be known as World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) celebrated every 1-7 August to commemorate the Innocenti Declaration. World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992. Now it involves over 170 countries and is endorsed by UNICEF, WHO and FAO.

Yes it was almost two weeks ago, but I have to share what happened! Even with all the information out there nowadays promoting breast-feeding and nursing mothers’ rights, there are still breast-feeding-phobes among us. And what’s even more disturbing is that some of these phobes are parents themselves.

The recent incident at Beatties Ford Road Library in Charlotte, NC is a perfect example. Watch The clip here . After a complaint from other library volunteer, a library employee asked me to either stop breast-feeding my 2month old or go to the nursing room around the corner out of respect for others. How is asking a woman to feed her baby in a cold windowless square respectful? I was nursing rather discretly if I do say so myself.  Just watch the clip for more info.

Apparently some still think a woman breast-feeding her baby is more obscene than women walking around in skimpy bikinis. My response will always be: “If you’re not prepared to have tough conversations with your children, then you should rethink parenting.”

According to an editorial by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Horsey, “From business offices to high school classrooms, modest displays of cleavage are commonplace. Bolder up-front fashions are standard at dance clubs, proms, beaches and bowling alleys. Breasts are so out in the open in America these days that it has become ho-hum. Yet, when a new mom exposes far less skin while trying to satisfy a hungry baby, some people still get upset. Yes, some of them are crudely sexualizing this maternal function, but many others with a more traditional way of looking at the world are simply made uncomfortable when they observe a breastfeeding woman. For them, nursing is a purely private act and it should stay that way.”

Eating has never been a private act. If someone at your table was eating with his mouth open, would you ask him to go finish his meal in the bathroom because you’re seeing too much?

If you’re one of those folks who get uncomfortable around a nursing mother, give it a break /get over it. It shouldn’t upset you;I’m giving my hungry baby a meal.

Thanks for stopping in. Feel free to leave your comment below! -QC Supermom

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Julia Child’s 100th birthday

August 15, 2012 marks what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday. There are events going on throughout the country to honor her legacy, from special menus at restaurants to dedicated television programs.  I hope you enjoy this honorary post in her honor. Happy birthday to you Julia! 🙂

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”
―    Julia Child

“Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which cause me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, ‘scientific’ though. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was.”
―    Julia Child,    My Life in France

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup is like most other split pea soups in regards to it’s stick-to-your-ribs goodness. The mere thought of split pea soup conjures images of log cabins and roaring fires for me. You can eat this in a log cabin, or in your 25th floor urban flat, and it will still be delicious. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (2 1/4 cups) green split peas
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large leek, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, halved
• 1 herb bouquet*
• 2 well-rinsed ham hocks or smoked turkey
• Salt and Pepper
• Optional garnish – small toasted croutons, chopped parsley or chives

Directions:

*Herb Bouquet:  Tie 3 cloves garlic, 4 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 1  teaspoon thyme, 8 sprigs parsley in rinsed cheesecloth or place in  bouquet garni muslin bag.

Rinse and strain the peas, making sure to remove any pebbles or other non-pea materials from them. Get a 4 quart sauce pan and add the vegetables, herb bouquet, Smoked turkey or ham hocks, and 2 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. You’ll notice that some scum starts to form at the top of the water. Skim this stuff off for a few minutes until it stops appearing. Cover loosely and simmer for around 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in awhile.

Remove the herb bouquet and turkey/ham from the soup. You now need to blend the soup. You can use an immersion blender , or a regular blender for this step. Make sure to take care, as the soup will still be hot. If you’re using a regular blender, be sure to only fill it half full, and cover the lid with a towel. Hold the lid down while blending.

Return the soup to the pot and heat to desired serving temperature, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in hot bowls, garnished with your garnish of choice.

Some people enjoy the meat from the ham hocks. If you are such a person, then remove the skin and add the ham hock meat to the soup before serving. I personally don’t like the ham hock meat because it’s rather fatty. I will usually add some sauteed smoked turkey cubes to my split pea soup. Feel free to do what ever fits your tastes the best.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

Here are more fun quote by Julia!