Preschool Insect Mini Unit Study

It’s getting close to school starting; we’re over here trying to stave off end of summer break boredom.  So what did we do when we found a dead bug in the garage this morning?  We studied it!  My kids are super interested in insects, so I was actually able to hold their interest for almost an hour with these activities (and that’s saying something for a wild 2 and 4 year old).

First, we watched a few videos on insects and the parts of their bodies on YouTube.  Here were our 3 favorites.  Max loved dancing and clapping to the Insect Song video.

Inspect an Insect by SciShow Kids

Dr Jean's Insect Body Song

 All About Insects for Children by FreeSchool

Then, I found this free printable worksheet by The Gift of Curiosity on the parts of an insect’s body.  Aidan cut out the bigger parts himself with scissors, and asked me to cut out the legs since they were a bit smaller and he’s still working on building his cutting skills.  He was able to glue and assemble the insect himself and sign his name.

Finally, we used the new magnifying glass and tweezers set we got from Learning Resources to examine the bug itself.  Aidan counted all 6 legs and was able to point out the antennae, head, abdomen, and thorax (though he pronounced it “lorax”).  Max’s favorite part was when the insect’s leg fell off because it was a little dried out from being in the hot garage.

What are you doing to keep busy at the end of summer break?

Aidan is FOUR!

My biggest boy is FOUR!  Aidan's birthday was on March 14.  I can't believe he's so big.  Four is REALLY not a baby anymore; not a toddler either.  Four is a preschooler!  He's tall and gangly and has such a grown-up boy face.  At his 4 year checkup, he was 3'4" tall and weighed 36 lbs.

His vocabulary surprises me every day.  Aidan is such an amazing big brother, and he's really stepped up to the plate since we brought Merle home.  He loves to help me out around the house and do "big boy" things that Max can't do yet.  He loves spending alone time with Mom and Dad.

Like me, Aidan likes to have a few close friends, and can get overwhelmed/overstimulated in large group situations.  He also loves to stay home and hang out around the house in his pajamas like Mom and Dad.  Aidan does NOT like to draw, and can easily get frustrated when he doesn't succeed at something at first try.  He knows all his letters and numbers and can tell me what sounds all the letters make.  We're working on sounding out words and starting to read short words.  After a long power struggle (in which Aidan won), Aidan is finally tracing words and really likes to practice writing his name.

When he feels emotions, he REALLY feels them - good or bad.  Sometimes I feel like I've been riding an emotional roller coaster at the end of a day with him, but when he is sweet, he is SO sweet.  He's very affectionate and likes to cuddle, bring me flowers when we're playing outside, and tell me I'm beautiful.

I love to hear how his mind works and see the world through his eyes.  He is very rules oriented and likes to tell me when I'm breaking a rule or when someone else did ("Mommy, 'hate' is NOT a nice word!").

Some of his favorite things include playing outside, trail mix, playing video games with Dad, playing with Max, his Optimus Prime toy, cooking with Mom, and the movie Monsters, Inc.  He's doing well in preschool 2 mornings a week and really loves his teachers, even though some mornings he does have a hard time getting up and going to get ready.  He sleeps from 7 or 7:30 pm until 7 am (praise the Lord), but doesn't take a nap anymore.  I really love spending quality time with him while Max naps in the afternoons.

Aidan, I am so lucky to be your Mom.  You make me laugh.  You challenge, grow me, and test my patience every single day, but I wouldn't change a thing.  I see so much of myself in you, and I'm constantly trying to monitor my own behavior to set a good example for you and your brother.  Thanks for being my big boy, being my guinea pig at this parenting gig, and loving me more than I deserve.

The Best Money a Pregnant Woman Can Spend

It's World Doula Week!  What is a doula you ask?  In short, a doula is a support person for pregnant women before, during, and after labor.  The word Doula is Greek and means "women's servant."  Frequently, when I talk about doulas, the first response I get is "They didn't have those when I was having kids."  Not true!  Doulas have existed since the beginning of time and have been helping babies enter the world for centuries.  World Doula Week is a week to honor doulas for their work and to raise awareness.

I had the most amazing doula with me for both Aidan and Max's births, and I don't know what I would've done without her!  Aimee (and her fellow doula Christi) taught the childbirth class we attended, met with us and provided support leading up to my labors, and Aimee attended both of my births.  She stayed with us for HOURS during my long and complicated labor with Aidan, and barely even got there before Max was born because he was in such a rush once he decided he was ready.  She also provided support postpartum - helped with breastfeeding, bonding issues, and even helped me out when I was a mess emotionally after Aidan's birth.  She has SUCH a calming and supportive vibe.  She was an integral part of both my births, so much so that they day I found out I was pregnant with Max, Jon said, "We've got to call Aimee!"

So, let's get into the details:

What is a doula?

A doula is a trained professional that provides emotional, physical, and educational support to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.

What does a doula do?

Typically, doulas meet with pregnant women during their pregnancy to establish a relationship and discuss the woman's birth plan and preferences.  They can answer any questions or concerns the woman may have regarding the birth process and help prepare them mentally/emotionally for labor.  A doula does NOT provide medical care or advice!  They can provide women with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding their own care.  A doula can even help you document your labor and delivery; I was so out of it that I don't remember big chunks of time during my labor with Aidan; all of the photos in this post were taken by my doula!  (Sadly, Aimee is not in a single one of them.)

During labor, doulas are close by the laboring woman's side.  They can provide pain relief techniques, help with relaxation, provide massage, and even help get the laboring woman into positions that will facilitate optimal labor.  Doulas do not take the place of a partner, if a partner/spouse is present, but they can support and encourage the partner to participate in the labor and birth at their own comfort level.   Doulas can advocate for the laboring mom to help them get the birth that they desire in a safe way.  After the birth, doulas can help with bonding and provide breastfeeding support.

Why should I hire a doula?

Aside from providing emotional support, there are numerous studies to support the benefits of having a doula.  Women who have doulas are shown to have a decreased rate of pain medication use, and a decrease in the amount of interventions during labor.  Women who have doulas also report having an more positive childbirth experience.  Here are some statistics that blew my mind; women who have doulas during labor have:

A decrease in epidural usage by 60%

A decrease in c-sections by 50%

A decreased in Pitocin usage by 40%

A decrease in length of labor by 25%

If those statistics aren't enough to convince you, I don't know what is!

But what if I'm NOT planning an unmedicated birth?

Having a doula there will still be invaluable!  Your doula can still provide emotional support for you and your partner.  Everyone benefits from a decrease in interventions during labor - pain meds or not.  Your doula can also help with pain management before and after you get pain medications; even an epidural doesn't take away every discomfort - HELLO ring of fire!

I ended up with a VERY complicated labor with Aidan due to fetal distress.  I had pretty much every intervention short of a c-section.  Internal monitoring, a catheter pumping saline back into my uterus to replace amniotic fluid, IV antibiotics for Group B Strep, infiltrated IVs... the whole shebang.  I was planning on having an unmedicated birth with minimal interventions, needless to say that did NOT happen.  Things got chaotic once I got to the hospital and they realized that Aidan wasn't tolerating labor well.  Jon and I were completely overwhelmed and terrified.  Aimee was there to support us every step of the way.  I ended up getting an epidural after 24 hours of labor because it was all too much for me.  Aimee slept in the hospital room with us for the next 12 hours until Aidan was born and even stayed with us until my mom got to the hospital.  When I was pregnant with Max I planned to get an epidural, but still wanted Aimee there.  Lo and behold, there wasn't time.  She helped calm me down when I freaked out after realizing I was going to have to give birth without drugs.  All of this to say, two different births, both surprising/unplanned, and I was so glad to have her there both times.

Want more info?

Doulas of North America (DONA) has certified over 12,000 in the 25 years it has existed.  There are other organizations that train doulas as well, DONA is the biggest/most well known.  There are antepartum and postpartum doulas as well!  You may even be able to use your FLEX plan or insurance to cover doula fees; we used our FLEX plan to pay for our childbirth classes and part of our doula fees.  Want to find a doula near you?  Click here.

DIY Lavender Oatmeal Soap (Oily on a Budget Series)

Today's post is really more of a recipe than a post...  I really love Young Living's Lavender Oatmeal Soap, and to be fair, a bar does last me 3-4 months, but each bar is $10.25 (wholesale/member pricing).  I decided to try my hand at soap making to see if I could make some a little more cost effectively.  The end result was 9 bars of soap for about $1.94 each!  That's a win for me!  I plan to use some of the bars for myself and to give some as teacher presents.  Without further ado, here's the recipe:

DIY Lavender Oatmeal Soap

2 lbs Honey Soap Base

1 cup Rolled Oats

25 drops Young Living Lavender

Put the cup of rolled oats into a food processor and pulse a few times to chop them into your desired texture.  Cut the soap base into 1/2 inch cubes and add to a microwave-safe measuring cup with a pouring spout.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted.  Add in the oats and stir.  Add in the lavender essential oil; I used 25 drops for this amount of soap, but you could use however much you desire.  Pour into your soap molds and let cool.

I used a soap mold I purchased from Amazon, but I had more of the mixture than I anticipated and ended up using a silicone cupcake tray as a mold for the extra mixture.  Click here for the soap base I used, and click here for the soap mold I used.  There are TONS of cute molds on Amazon to choose from, so shop around!

This is the first post in a new series I'm starting - Oily on a Budget!  I realize that finances can be a limiting factor for some people, and I believe that essential oils are SO awesome that they should be accessible for everyone in EVERY home!  Stay tuned for more tips and recipes.

Double, Double Oily Trouble

**See the end for the TL;DR because this post is kind of lengthy.

I used to be a huge hater of network marketing.  I wouldn't try any of the products because I didn't want to get nagged to make purchases again and again and again.  I thought they were a pyramid scheme, more focused on adding new members and not focused on the products themselves.  It was a huge turn off.  I'd unfollow people on social media that posted anything about network marketing products.  You know what is the biggest turn off ever? People that post constantly about their business and nothing else; am I your friend or just another prospective sales opportunity?  Don't even get me started on people you don't/hardly even know sending you a friend/follow request just to immediately try and sell you some products you never even expressed interest in.  I once had someone I hadn't talked to in YEARS message me telling me they had a product that would help me lose the weight I'd kept on after having my kids...  I don't know a quicker way to piss someone off than to call them fat and then ask for their money.  Instant block.

Then I had a friend that decided to stay home with her daughter instead of going back to work after her daughter was born.  She posted on Facebook that she couldn't imagine leaving her daughter and was going to try and make some extra money sharing her passion for Young Living essential oils.  She followed up by telling people she wasn't going to post much on her personal social media page and that she had started a Facebook group for people who were more interested in learning about oils.  I had always been curious about essential oils (I'm kinda crunchy and a pharmacology nerd) and decided to join the group - just to learn more.  I ended up going over to her house to see the products and learn a little more about them.  The starter kit was a little expensive for my taste, so I ended up ordering some cheaper oils from Amazon that had good reviews.  They smelled okay, but I tried diluting them and rubbing them on Aidan's chest when he got a cold and he broke out in a huge rash.  Maybe you got what you paid for.  I ended up buying the Premium Starter Kit from Young Living with Christmas money I got as a present last year and received it in January 2017.  Over the past year, I have fallen head over heels in love with the products.

I have replaced every cleaning product I used in our entire house with Thieves Cleaner.  It's safe to use around kids and pets and it smells like Christmas.  As a nurse, I've seen horrible things happen to kids that get into regular cleaning products, and I knew I wanted to get rid of hpusehold products that could hurt my kids since they get into EVERYTHING.  I use Copaiba for Max when he's cutting teeth.  Copaiba is a relative of the cannabis plant and had some similar properties to CBD oil (look it up!).  I have an oil that helps me more than anything else I've ever used when I get the sniffles; I diffuse that and I can breath through my nose again!  I use a couple different oils to support a good night's sleep.  Switching back and forth from a night shift schedule to a normal people schedule had me so messed up, until I found the magic combo of Sleepyize and Cedarwood (psssttt... it even works on my kids).  I use Lemongrass essential oil instead of nail polish remover.  Lavender Lip Balm has help me kick Chapstick to the curb (I used to have to have a Chapstick within arm's reach at all time).  I use a DIY face serum instead of the expensive serum I was using before.  My immune system was shot after having 2 babies in 2 years; I caught everything that was going around.  I've used YL supplements and oils to support my immune system and I've been healthier than I have been in a long time!  People, I could go on for HOURS about all the uses!

I've been thinking about writing this post for about 6 months now, but every time I go to write it, I chicken out.  Or I find something else to work on.  Procrastinate.  Come up with an excuse.  The thing is, I'm scared.  And I'm normally not someone to worry about what other people think about me.  I've spent my whole life being weird, and I like it.  I own it.  So why is this one thing making me so nervous?!  Probably because I really value my integrity.  I really pride myself on the fact that when I say something, people can know that I'm telling them the honest truth.  Maybe it's the nurse in me; I'll tell you the truth (gently) even if I know it's going to be hard.  I used to tell people about the Young Living products I love and say, "You can trust me; I don't sell them!"  Somehow, in my mind, it detracts from the dependability of my statements when I could make money off my recommendations.

But guess what?  I can't stop talking about the products I love because they've changed our lives!  And I'm going to take a leap of faith this year and start talking and teaching about these products more.  I promise that I won't share much on my personal social media accounts because that's not what I'm about.  If you don't care about essential oils, that's ok!  I just wanted to put this rambling post out there to say, if you're interested in learning more about oils, tell me!  I'd love to get together and talk about them.  Or send you some samples.  Or loan you a diffuser.  I'm also going to start a Facebook group about my oils (or potions as my husband and coworkers refer to them) if you'd like to learn more.  I'll share some DIY recipes, products I love, and do some occasional classes to share more interesting oily info.  If you think essential oils are crap/snake oils/trendy and don't really do anything, but just want to support me; you're welcome too (here's to you Mom and sister).

So here's the TL;DR:

1. Gosh this all makes me nervous.  I don't just want to make a buck off my friends.
2. I really value my integrity and I intend to keep it; I'll always tell you the truth.
3. Young Living Essential Oils (and other products) are badass and have been a total game changer for our family - and that means a lot coming from a nurse.
4. I'm going to start sharing/teaching/talking more about YL products in my oily Facebook group Double, Double Oily Trouble if you're interested in learning more.
5. If you made it through this whole post, I'm impressed!