Got to Love a Conspiracy

A recent comment left on my blog about this post:

Graham Hesketh & Fiona Mont said...
Why wont Nasa simply photograph the evidence? use the space telescope to photograph the lunar landing sites?

The only concivable reason why not would be because there is nothing there to photograph.

Are you serious? Or are you joking? I'm dying to know!

Well maybe the hoax promoters are right. In case anyone is interested, here are several websites with "evidence" that the lunar landing was a fake:
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/moon.htm
http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html

oh wait...those are the only sites I could find that actually claim hoax. Hmmm...

Well, here's some good rebuttle info:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_2.htm
http://www.redzero.demon.co.uk/moonhoax/

Ah...science. And this Kaysing guy is obviously a nut job. Check out this:
http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/Bill%20Kaysing.htm
How sad and pathetic to defame the memory of a woman like Christa McAuliffe. I thought this was a funny thing until I started reading some of the bs this guy has said.

Oh, and also on that website is the answer to why the telescope can't photo the landing site:
http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/Did%20we%20land%20on%20the%20Moon.htm
"7) Why doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope provide proof?

This argument runs along the lines that as the HST can provide images of galaxies millions of light years away, why can't it provide images of a lander on the Moon, which is on our door step?

Bit of a funny question really, anyone with normal eyesight can see the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy easily with the naked eye, and that's over 2 million light years away, yet cannot see a lander on the Moon! As an amateur astronomer of some 40 years standing I have always understood why the HST could not provide images of the lunar landers on the surface of the Moon, but to get the correct figures I checked out the HST site at Hubble Space Telescope Its all down to the size of Hubble's main mirror, which is 2.4 metres. One of the factors of the worth of a telescope is its resolution, the smallest amount of detail it can see, and this depends on the size and quality of the mirror. Hubble's resolution is an amazing 0.048 arc seconds. This is how I calculate the minimum size object that HST can image on the Moon, in as simple a way as I could devise.

HST resolution = 0.048 arc seconds (formula for this is 116 divided by aperture in mm. = 116 divided by 2400)

Visual maximum diameter of full Moon = 31'40" = 1900 arc seconds (a fraction over 1/2 a degree)

Therefore HST can resolve an object on the Moon of (1900 divided by 0.048 ) = 1/39,583 of the Moon's diameter

Actual diameter of Moon = 3476 km

Therefore resolvable object size = 3476 km divided by 39,583 = 87 metres

As the landers are only around 9 metres across it is not possible for the HST to resolve them, they just wouldn't show up on any image of the area under examination. I emailed the HST site to make sure I had got my sums right, explaining why I needed it for this site, and their reply was as follows:

"You are correct. Hubble's resolution is good and can resolve objects and areas as small as 280 feet, (86 metres) which rules out the Apollo debris on the moon. Hope this helps!"

Yes it does! Thanks to the HST Office of Public Outreach.

PS. The current largest ground based telescope is the 10 metre Keck, far bigger than the HST and therefore has a far better resolution of 0.012. But this is a theoretical limit that cannot be achieved through an atmosphere, so the HST, being in the vacuum of space, is still number one."

Anyway, thanks for the comment and thanks for reading. Honestly, I had a lot of fun tonight going through websites to find this info. I had never given the subject much thought and now if ever at a cocktail party ('cause that's somewhere I'm likely to be...not) I can carry on a very intelligent conversation on this topic.

Some People are Strange

Even the Husband thought that this one was funny!

We are in the parking lot of Shop Rite and I see behind me there is a mother carefully putting one of those seat covers on the shopping cart. Obviously she cares that her precious child does not get sick from other people's shopping cart germs. What a wonderful mother.

Meanwhile...

She's SMOKING a big fat cigarette which she KEEPS DANGLING IN HER MOUTH while transferring her child from the car to the cart.

Shopping cart germs? Obviously Bad.
Secondhand smoke? Apparently, not a problem.

Now, I confess, I'm a former smoker and a Libertarian and I proudly defend the rights of smokers everywhere but COME ON!

Haircut!

Woo-Hoo! I got a haircut. I went from long hair halfway down my back to a cute layered cut with the longest layer resting just above my shoulders. I feel so FREE!

I loved my long hair, but it was becoming a burden. Master J is obsessed with pulling, stroking, eating etc. my hair and honestly, it annoyed me so much that it was ruining our relationship. With the short cut he's still all into my hair but because he can't walk halfway across the room with it (okay, I'm exaggerating) I can tolerate it. Hurray!

Silence

Sorry for the long silence. The Husband had to go away and with two littles who like constant attention and do not tolerate mama spending time on her own stuff, there was no blogging (or pretty much anything else!).

And then my computer chair broke. While I was sitting on it. The bottom caved in and then I was sitting INSIDE it. Legs up in the air, butt touching the floor, back against the back of the chair. Actually, if it hadn't hurt it would have been really really funny.

Actually, even WITH the pain it was really really funny!

Anyway, blogging while sitting on the floor looking up at the computer...not gonna happen, folks. Sorry.

Well Visit Woes

Argh. I hate Well Baby Visits. Not only are there horrible shots to make my baby cry, but there are dumb-ass doctors who's info is so mainstream and outdated it's not even funny. Dr. "Mike" (because this office is so lame all the docs are called by their first names. blech) suggested I stop FEEDING Miss R during the night so she would SLEEP. She is TWO MONTHS OLD! Not only is she a great sleeper already (only up twice and briefly at that) but babies PHYSIOLOGICALLY NEED to eat during the night! She could develop Failure to Thrive if I refused to meet her nourishment needs. What an ass.

I hate this peds office. Although I also love it because there are over eight doctors. We can see a different one every time and no one ever catches on that (for example)the last doc prescribed vitamin d supplements and I never filled the scrip and am not giving them. They just assume everything is hunky-dory and that's fine with me. I don't get hassles for co-sleeping, breastfeeding, selective vax's or whatever.

Spirited? Highly Sensitive?

Master J is...a handful. Seriously. He has boundless energy. He is intense and perceptive and persistent...especially persistent. He easily fits the categories of a Spirited Child (see Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's Book) and a Highly Sensitive Child (see Elaine Aron's Book). At least I think so. They have all sorts of quiz type things in the books where you rate characteristics on a scale of one to ten. But what if I'm wrong? What if I'm just a lousy parent who can't handle a normal one and a half year old?

I wonder all the time what people must think when they see us out and about. For the most part, Master J is wonderful and well behaved. Please don't get me wrong, I think he is an ice cream sundae with lots of whipped cream and two cherries on top fantastic! It's just that he has so much ENERGY. Plus there are those times when he just digs in...stubborn to the core. I don't have too many problems taking him out (mostly because his constant chatter is adorable and doesn't bother me) except in places where calm and quiet are expected i.e. Church, the Library etc. I see other small children. They are not models of perfection, but they do sit for more than 2 seconds at a time. They whisper. They don't think it is hysterically funny to race down an aisle flinging all the books off the shelves as they go. Or do they? Are other parents just more able to cope? Granted I'm generally wearing (yes wearing...in a sling or wrap) a two month old baby and am not quite as agile and quick as I could be, but do other children scream bloody murder when you gently try and redirect them?? Probably they do. Probably I just can't cope.

Today I was really embarrassed. A very lovely well meaning woman took my son out of Church today because he was being...himself...and I was getting frustrated. (the Husband is a Sacristan and does not join us until right before Mass begins so I am alone with both children for about 20-30 minutes in the pews) She was SO nice about it, and it WAS helpful but...what does that say about me?? Why do women with five, six, ten etc. children seem to have it all under control? Does that mean I could never have a big family or did they struggle in the beginning as well?

Lots of questions today. Not a lot of answers. :-( Some people just say, well, my kids know from the beginning that they sit in Church or get taken out for a spanking . I cannot believe that is the only way. We're committed to gentle discipline and I do believe it works. Honestly, I don't think Master J would change even if we (blech) decided to start hitting him. It's not a punishment issue. It's not a discipline issue. I truly don't believe he CAN sit still. Am I so wrong??

A New Blog

I have a new blog here to detail my adventures in keeping my house/life clean and in order. This way I don't have to bore ya'll with details of kitchen scrubbing!!

New Books, HOORAY!

Why do I love old books? They just appeal to my senses. The smell, the look, the feel (okay, I've never tasted one!) and the words all come together and create a positive experience for me. They reflect a simpler time where "teen romance" didn't mean graphic sexual situations and children's stories were not politically correct (this is not to say I do not strongly object to negative stereotypes and borderline racist material, but there is no false pandering to special interest groups).

Today I went scouring the area for some new "old" books and here's what I found:

The Silent Readers, Fourth Reader by Lewis and Rowland Copyright 1927
Voyages in English, 4th Year by Campbell and MacNickle Copyright 1951
Science For Modern Living Volume 1: Along the Way by Smith and Clarke Copyright 1951
Three Friends, Health and Personal Development Program by Montgomery and Baruch Copyright 1954
Enchanted Isles, Treasury of Liturature - Readtext Series By Johnson and Jacobs Copyright 1954
Workaday Lady by Maysie Greig Copyright 1934
Doctor's Wife by Maysie Greig Copyright 1937 (I think these are romance novels, hee hee)
We Sing of Our Land (Part of a Music Series for Catholic Schools) Copyright 1960

And the total came to under ten dollars! Woo-Hoo! Now if I could only find a place to put them. *sigh*

I Love Him

I love the Husband. Here are five reasons I am grateful for him today:

1) He works so hard so we can raise our children the way we feel is best
2) He buys me ice cream (even though sometimes it's the wrong kind)
3) He's a great daddy
4) When he says he will do something, he does it (eventually)
5) He washes the big pans :-)

I hate cleaning

Yes I know I previously posted about how much I love cleaning now...I guess it's better to say that cleaning and I have a love-hate relationship. The act of cleaning is so satisfying. Watching grime (you see how much I actually do it) disappear with a little effort is a beautiful thing. And you can't beat the end result. The gleaming counters, the shiny floors, the non-moldy shower stall...just wonderful.

The problem comes from living in a four person household where three of the people don't really appreciate (and honestly how could they?) the beauty, the wonder, the glory of a truly clean house.

Senario #1: I have just tidied and vacuumed the living room. With a cracker in one hand and a yogurt in the other, Master J pulls all the books and CD's off the bookshelf spreading clutter, crumbs, and wet sticky goo all over the clean floor (yes, he has three hands, LOL!)

Senario #2: I have live through senario one and although tears threatened, they do not appear. At that moment the Husband walks in the door and says, "Ugh. This place is a disaster!" while giving me a look that clearly says, "What does she DO all day?" *sigh* It's not his fault, under the circumstances I'd think the same thing.

Senario #3: The kitchen is gleaming. The sink is blessedly empty. The Husband arrives home and dumps his empty leftover containers in the sink while leaving trash on the counters. When asked if he could rinse his containers, put them in the dishwasher and throw out his trash a heavy sigh and a grumble can be heard.

Senario #4: I am CLEAN! I have managed a shower. My body smells like raspberries and my hair is soft and shiny. Within five minutes, Miss R, with no provocation I might add, spits up all over my shoulder and hair and once again returns me to a state of stinky milk and hard matted hair.

WHY? WHY? WHY?

I dream of having my own separate house that I can keep clean. Where no one is allowed to cook or play or breathe. I totally get people who have "company parlors" where no one in the family is allowed to go. I want one. I WANT ONE!

Upstairs

While I was posting before, Master J was upstairs being too quiet. I ran to look and he has defeated one of my homemade mind-saving child proofing designs. Currently he is taking every single book out of my bookshelf. *sigh* WHY ME??? WHY TODAY??? (as if tomorrow would be any different *giggle*)

NEW MANTRA!!

I am Grateful for my children!
I am Grateful for my children!
I am Grateful for my children!

Mantra for today...

The children will not actually drive me insane.
The children will not actually drive me insane.
The children will not actually drive me insane...right?

NASA can't find original tape of moon landing

Didja see this article? Wouldn't you hate to be the guy who lost that???

Big Important NASA guy: Ah, Jim, we were just looking for the moon landing tape and it looks like you had it last. Do you know where it might be?

Jim: I put it back in the files!...I'm sure I did!...i must have...right?....

BING: Well, what did you file it under then?

Jim: Was it "M" for moon? or "L" for landing...hmmm..."M" I think...pretty sure...let me just, uh, check my desk for something...the tape? no, no...something else...yeah, that's right...

Doesn't this totally support all the crazy conspiracy people who claim that there was no landing and that it was a doctored film? Hey...maybe they're right after all...

Day of Rest

With my foot already on the mend, the Husband decided to give me a "break" and take Master J to the beach for the day (aparently the day now begins at 7am and ends at 1pm...whatever). Since I can walk normally now and am having no problems carrying Miss R, I agreed and decided to kick back and relax.

'cause that would be the smart thing to do!

But of course I actually decided to spend the morning catching up on laundry and cleaning the kitchen. (not to mention bathing Miss R, putting together a picture collage, putting together our crockpot dinner, repackaging and freezing a family size package of chicken breast, and straightening and vacuuming the living room all before noon! woo-hoo!)

*sigh*

What is WRONG WITH ME?? A friend (who does not yet have children) just pointed out that pre-children I would have insisted on having a cast just to GET OUT of HAVING to clean the kitchen. And she is so right. The difference is that with a toddler and all his stuff and all the chaos he lovingly brings to our lives, I have begun to cherish the clean, clutter free spaces in my home and in my life. I think I will always hate cleaning the bathroom, though, and I still make the Husband do that!

Stupid Stairs!

Yup. I fell down the stairs last night. :-(
I'm mostly okay. I have a bad sprain and can't walk or carry my kiddos, but THANK GOD it wasn't worse (I was carrying Miss R at the time). No idea what happened...I was on the stairs and then I was on the floor with my leg pinned beneath me.

We're handling it for now, but the Husband has a small Church commitment tomorrow and a big commitment on Tuesday (plus he starts his new job on Wednesday) so we're not exactly sure how we're going to manage. Hopefully my foot will just spontaneously heal. Nothing seems to be broken except possibly a toe so that's good. Crutches are fun...for Master J at least...he's having a great time trying to grab them out from under me *sigh*

So that's our update for today. Never a dull moment at our house, right??

Tandem Nursing, an Honest Look

Anonymous said...
How did your little boy handle nursing during pregnancy? Did you have supply issues at any point? -Victoria (contemplating tandem nursing myself) :)

Thanks for asking. Well, Master J was only 8 months old when I became pregnant with Miss R so our experiences may or may not be different. In retrospect, I think if Master J had been older...well...I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Husband and I are open to life and so at 8 months post-partum it was not too much of a shock to be looking at a positive pregnancy test. I had come to believe at this point in the many benefits of extended breastfeeding and agree to a certain extent in child led weaning, so I knew Master J would continue to nurse as long as he wished. I was committed to nursing him through this pregnancy and beyond especially since had Miss R not decided to make an appearance I would have been nursing Master J until age 2 at the very least. I knew that it might not be easy. I had friends going through it at the time and I read THE BOOK so I was "prepared" for what may come.

Right.

Actually, nursing through pregnancy wasn't too big a deal for me. My supply did dwindle down to virtually nothing (within the first trimester), but I didn't have any serious pain or discomfort or negative feelings (until the last two months) to speak about. The main concern I had early on was making sure we were meeting Master J's nutritional needs. I really really didn't want to give him formula, so we tried to give him a super balanced diet of solids and rice milk. It may not have been the best solution, but it worked for us at the time. If this were to be an issue again, I don't know if I would make the same decisions regarding diet.

Two months before Miss R was born I started to get seriously annoyed while nursing Master J. I never offered the breast anymore and dreaded the moments when he would ask. I can't really explain it. There were actually moments when I wanted to rip him off the breast and throw him across the room (obviously, that never actually happened!). I'm sure it was hormonal, but all the same nursing became this horrible obligation. The commitment I had made to myself and Master J was really the only thing that kept our nursing relationship alive.

Intellectually I knew I was doing the right thing, but emotionally it was HARD. I became afraid that I would NEVER enjoy nursing again and did not know what I would do when Miss R was born. Would I hate nursing her too? Would nursing Master J always come with these horrible feelings?

Well, Miss R was born. Nursing her was so natural and beautiful. That was a double bonus for me as I had problems nursing Master J when he was born. To my surprise, the next morning when my son bounded into my bed (we had a birth center birth and went home four hours after delivery) I was ready and willing to nurse him. The picture I posted below was the first time I nursed them simultaneously (Miss R was less than one day old!!). Wow! Words cannot describe.

So today, almost 7 weeks later, are we still in a euphoric state? Not quite. Master J is back to nursing full steam ahead (he had been down to maybe twice a day) and obviously nursing Miss R takes up quite a bit of time as well. I am definitely touched out and despair that Master J will EVER want to wean. On the plus side, the whole ecological breastfeeding/lactation amenorrhea thing didn't work out for me last time (I got my first post partum cycle right on time at six weeks post partum) but seems to be working this time...so we'll see. Maybe this natural child spacing thing will happen after all :-).

The big thing is, I made the right decision for my children. There were "easier" solutions (for me, at least) but they wouldn't have been best for my babes. As I said earlier, though, if Master J had been maybe six months to a year older I probably would have pushed weaning when I was six or seven months pregnant. That would have been the right decision too.

Oh, and it really is SUPER CUTE to see Master J try to hold Miss R's hand or give her nice pats while they are nursing. Maybe that makes it all worth it.

Living in a void

We're currently a TV free household. This is not because we are so wonderfully alternative or natural that we eschew all things television. It is because we are both poor and lazy. Okay, we're not really poor but we are on a strict budget and not paying for cable or satellite service does make a difference each month. And we really are lazy. Just about once a month we have this conversation:

The Husband: "so...do you want to look into getting direct TV?"
Me: "I thought you were going to do it."
The Husband: "oh."
Me: "Well, nothing is really on anyway. Just so we have it by October 5th."
The Husband: "What's October 5th?"
Me: "The SEASON PREMIER OF LOST! How many times do I have to say it???"
The Husband: "Whatever. We'll have something by November for the elections."
Me: grrrr

Boring I know. I do have a point though...without television (and we don't get a newspaper) I rely on the internet for my news. I know, I know. That's probably the best place to GET news but I did mention lazy, right? Plus I have two littles under the age of 2 who don't really like me spending loads of time online. I barely have time to read my email and blog. So I quickly scan headlines just to make sure I'm not missing anything important. I thought this was effective. Every single article is either about Iraq, Iran, Israel or Lebanon and honestly...boring. I'm pretty much, "war bad, peace good, kill the bad guys so we can have peace." So not anti-war just anti war news. Anyway, today I'm scanning headlines and I read, "Castro Recovers" FROM WHAT? And when is this old man just gonna kick it anyway?? Not like I read the article though. I kind of like the void I'm living in. It makes my life simpler.

Kids are SO COOL!

I don't know why, but this amazes me EVERY SINGLE TIME it happens. Once every few months Master J has some sort of intellectual growth spurt. He doesn't seem to learn or gain new developmental skills gradually, they all of a sudden just happen. Like one day he does not talk and then literally the next day he is walking around pointing at things for me to name and then repeating the word (not perfectly, but come on people!). Then he amazes me even more by using the word later. He big words today were Belly and Daddy (hooray! The Husband LOVED that!).

The Belly thing was hysterical. He was running around pulling up everyone's shirts and yelling, "BELLY!" while poking them in the belly button. Master J even tried to open Miss R's onsie to find her belly. We put a stop to that. She wasn't impressed.

And Miss R?? She's just delicious today. Smiling and cooing all over the place. She's such a ridiculously happy baby. I love it.

Today was a really good mama day.

Nursing Two

I'm a little late for World Breastfeeding Week, but I thought since I had a chance, I'd post a picture of my tandem nursing sweeties. I don't know how long I'll keep it up, but for a little while anyway (probably until the Husband finds out I'm posting "nude" pictures of myself on the web). It's certainly way more "explicit" than those magazine articles/covers *snicker*

I Breastfeed in Public

In honor of World Breastfeeing Week(I'm pretty sure it's this week) I thought I'd write a quick post about this.

Here's the deal...My newborn nurses. My toddler also nurses. It's called Tandem Nursing. Yes, sometimes they nurse at the same time. I have two breasts. It works out fine. Yes, my pediatrician supports me. I don't know when Master J will wean. We'll see how he feels about it when he turns two. Even then, I don't intend to push the issue. The benefits of breastfeeding are pretty well known and I don't feel the need to restate them. If you don't know check out a few websites: http://www.kellymom.com and http://www.lalecheleague.org are two great places to start.

So anyway, when one of my babies needs or wants to nurse, I nurse. I'm not ashamed and to be honest, and especially if I'm in a private home (my own or someone else's), I'm not that discrete. My breasts are large and trying to completely cover them up while maneuvering a little baby or an active toddler is pretty much a joke. It doesn't bother me if someone catches a glimpse of something. It does bother me sometimes when people stare. I don't stare at people eating, they shouldn't stare at my littles. Of course there is the fact that Master J likes to wave at other people if their around while he's nursing. What can I say? He's a social eater. Ignore him. Or wave back if you want. I'm not embarrassed.

That's my story. I'm not sorry if it offends.

Here we go!

So, I'm taking another shot at blogging. The old blog was actually pretty not bad, but I got bored with it and too busy and didn't keep it up. I'd like to have a place to sound off and if it doesn't look like it's getting too personal (at least in a negative way, lol), then I'll even forward the link to family and friends and use it to keep them updated about our (not so) fascinating lives.

An Introduction? Well, I'm mother to two (Master J and Miss R: eighteen months and six weeks respectively) and wife to one (the Husband) and at the moment a bit unsure if I'm still a person in my own right. I stay at home and care for my family. The Husband works very hard both at his job and with our finances to make this possible because it is of supreme importance to us.

Outside interests? At the moment, not many. I love to cook. I wish I had more time and money to develop my skills. Culinary School is beyond even a dream, but I'd love to do one of those short seminars where you learn knife skills and other good things. Right now I'd settle for a swath of new cookbooks with new ideas and techniques and maybe even the time to try them out!
Knitting. Another thing that requires time and money. When I have money, I have no time and when I have time? No money.
I'd like to learn how to sew. I have a sewing machine, but I think I broke it and again...time...money.
I'd like to have more adult friends irl. I have a few, but some live far away and some live very far away and some live even further away than that. :-( I'm shy. I don't make friend easily. I don't believe that people like me.

Parenting Philosophy? Well, the fact that I even have a philosophy should tip you off :-) We are strictly Attachment Parents. We practice extended breastfeeding, the family bed and baby wearing. We do not let our babies cry alone. We do not believe that crying is normal and is just our little ones "exercising their lungs." We believe in Gentle/Positive Discipline. We do not use punishment to teach. No one gets their hand smacked for touching a drawer. We do not blanket train or use any punitive measures with our babies. (and, okay, yeah, Miss R is swaddled in a baby swing right now but she likes it, I swear!!!!)

Religion? We are practicing Roman Catholics who prefer to worship at the Traditional Mass aka the Tridentine Mass or the Old Latin Mass. We are in full communion with Rome and are not associated with any separatist groups such as the SSPV or CMRI. We avoid even the SSPX so as not to give scandal. I'm not terribly interested in debating this with anyone (liberal Catholic/neo-con Catholic/Sedevac/Protestant/Athiest etc.). We are who we are, we think we're right. Just assume we think you're wrong and that we have good reason for doing so. :-) just kidding...sort of...mostly. I'm not trying to be obnoxious or adversarial, just don't want to turn this blog into a debate.

Out with the old, in with the new

Old Blog? Gone.

New Blog? yeah, okay, let's give it a shot!