Why Does Everyone Go In a Circle?

We went rollerskating today with the kids. It was their first time ever! The little skates they had for Nic were so cute... I wish I remembered my camera.

It's been at least 15 years since Ken and I went skating. We were suprised at how easily it came back to us. The kids did okay, Ainsley and Chloê are just trying to learn how to balance, Nic just stood there while I pushed him around and around.

On one lap Chloê asked me, "Why does everyone just go in a circle?" I had to explain to her that if everyone just went where they wanted to go we'd all crash into eachother.

Chloê appreciated the games, the dice game (similar to musical chairs, but instead of chairs there's colored lights on the ceiling), the chicken dance and the YMCA dance. It was fun.

Maylyn brought Evans kids too and bought everyone pizza and pop. We all had a good time, It was great! I'll try not to forget the camera next time.

Miserable Dry Cough

I've been afflicted with a miserable dry cough! It only affects me at night, it's farily non productive (though after 15 minutes a few bits of phlem will shoot out), and my lungs feel sore and perhaps raw is the best term to describe it.

There are little other symptoms. No fever, no runny nose, and no congestion... just exhaustion from not sleeping at all and a headache.

I have a humidifier but can't afford the replacement filter it needs, so showers and chicken soup will have to suffice for now.

I hope I get better soon, I'd like to sleep once in a while.

Our Camp Fire Website

Like I don't have a million things to keep track of as it is...

anyway decided we needed to share what we were doing in Camp Fire,
click on the link to get to the Camp Fire blog.

Camp Fire Blog

I Wasn't Supposed to Sleep Last Night

The past few nights I've had trouble sleeping, I've just been so busy durning the day with camp fire and studying for my birthworks certification that at bed time my mind is still spinning with thoughts and ideas. It kept me up quite late. Last night I went to bed before midnight, lie there as Kenny passed out and after an hour or so I got up and started cleaning the house and working on the internet. My mind was just wild with thoughts and I couldn't make it rest. I finally settled down at 2 (I think) and went to bed. It took a few more minutes, but finally I fell asleep. Then 3 hours later Ken and I awake to the beautiful sound of a Large Dog Dry Heaving - then finally up it came two small rocks that Malcolm though would make a good snack and a puddle of bile/hair mixture. Up I got and cleaned up the mess. Lay down and about 15 minutes later we can hear the sound of gooey, wet, shooting doggie diarrhea. The smell instantly fills the room and I'm up again finding a baggie, paper towels and something to clean the carpet. I couldn't alleviate the odor with just cleaning. And because of a previous Malcolm poo, my vanilla candle has been melted down. I had to go digging in my wedding decoration boxes to find some old lavender scented candles and lit 3 of those puppies! After soothing Malcom for a few minues, he did after all have a sore tummy, I made it back to bed. But amazingly enoughy at that time I wasn't tired, AGAIN! It took much less time to fall asleep then but I was still up for another 40 minutes or so. I just figure that sleep wasn't meant for me last night :)

Birth Works®

Well after much research and discussion with Fran we have decided that we like the philosophy behind the BirthWorks® program. It promotes the "I can do this!" attitude that I believe in without the over the top new age feel like some of the other programs. Fran likes it so much she is going to pay for half of the registration fee for me and her current assistant Rose. Finishing the requirements for certification to be a Birth Works Educator will take awile, but I'm excited to learn all there is to know and teach other women how to have wonderful birth experiences.

Some of the BirthWorks® Childbirth Educator Requirements
(watered down to fit on the blog)

• Write an autobiographical essay (2-3 pages)
• Write about a birth experience either your own or one you were present for. Attend a birth other than your own.
• Attend childbirth workshops, classes or meetings write about experiences at these events.
• Take a tour of two hospitals in your area, interview a medical representative there. Write a summary of the interview(1 pg). Complete a survey of Maternity Services for each birthing facility.
• Attend a BirthWorks® Childbirth Educator Workshop. Write about your experiences and reflections on what it meant to you. (1-2 pages)
• Complete a book report on each of the books on the required reading list below. Book summaries are not acceptable. How did you feel about the book when you were done reading it? What did you disagree with? use specifice examples and quotes from the books.

• Birth Reborn*(second edition) By Michael Odent MD
• Rediscovering Birth by Sheila Kitzinger
• Birthing Normally by Gayle Peterson
• Ended Beginnings* by Claudia Panuthos and Cathy Romeo
• Silent Knife by Nancy Cohen and Lois Estner
• Essential Excercises for the Childbearing Years* by Elizabeth Noble
• The Tentative Pregnancy OR Giving Birth by Barbara Katz Rothman
• Let Birth Be Born Again* by Jean Sutton
• The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth* by Henci Goer
• The Scientification of Love* by Michael Odent MD
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (6th edition) by La Leche League International

Those are the required books, there are about 15 more highly recommended books (which I'll probably try to fit some of those in)

• Critique the 3 major VBAC studies, choose from different time periods (This goes into more detail on what they want...) 1 page for each study, 2 pages summarizing what I learned from all 3
• I have to write 4 (5 page) topic papers there is a list of 25 or so topics I can choose from, or I can choose my own. I have to include a paper on "Nutrition for the Childbearing Woman"
• Then when all the requirements are successfully completed and the director of education has reviewd my submissions I'll get a comprehensive essay exam.

• Facilitate a 10 week/20 hour birth works course. Make a 60 minute audio or video tape including a 15 minute block of the feelings class, 15 minutes of the philosophy class, 15 minutes of a visualization and 15 minutes of another class of my choice. This is required to complete my certification.

See it's that easy :) LOL

It'll be worth it, I'm really excited about the amount of support I'm recieving from different birthing professionals in the area. I think this will go pretty well. I even contacted my cousin who is a midwife/doula in the Shrieve Port Louisiana area and she's giving me some great pointers about working in hospitals.