Thankful Thursday

For hard-workin Berry Boys

For purple hands

For working hard...

and playing harder

For Grandmas who love us, sing to us, kiss us (and do our dishes and laundry)...

We are truly thankful.

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His nam together" (Ps. 34:1 & 3)

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

You made me laugh...

when your brother fed you Saskatoon Berries, and you liked them so much you wanted to eat the bowl itself, and were lunging over your brother to get some more

I love...

how you're growing, all the new things you are learning and trying, and how happy and fun you are being for your special Grandma.

Berry Boy

You made me laugh so hard...

when you were biking all over the yard in your broken ski goggles on your pink bike

when you showed up at the side of my bed at the unearthly hour of 6:45am and told me that you *needed* to get out to the shop because "your" workers were here - and you ended up beating your favorite worker to work two mornings in a row

when I met you on my way to the shop at 8am, and you insisted that you had already had breakfast, and when I asked you what you had eaten, you told me you'd had berries, and then were offended when I ordered you to the house to have a "real" breakfast

I'm so proud of you...

for being such an enthusiastic helper and working with our workers - you are becoming such a big boy

Berry Guy

I love....

that the harvest is going better than you had hoped and that you have such a nice sparkle in your eye

that you are enjoying being around the farm full time

how hard you work to get this incredible crop off, and how you encourage me to keep going even though I would like to quit often :)

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful...

For sorting over 6,000lbs of berries in one day (ok ok, I'm choosing to be thankful for this, even though it's killing me and I'm crabby...)

For the excitement in Berry Guy's eyes as we sort over 6,000lbs in one day (sob)

For the fun Berry Boy is having "working" with his favorite worker, riding in the truck with him, sorting berries beside him, and basically harassing him (poor guy, but he handles it REALLY well)

For the hilarious sight of Berry Boy biking toward the shop on his pink bike with Berry Guy's huge busted ski goggles on his face, obviously feeling like the coolest kid in the world

For Berry Boy's purpley-black mouth, face and teeth (from eating too many berries)

For the fabulous "kids" we have working for us this year - they have all been SO great and we are so blessed that they are working for us

For Grandma, who is MORE than happy to be caring for Berry Baby, loving him, cuddling him, singing to him, changing his diapers, and just generally being with him

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His nam together" (Ps. 34:1 & 3)

Gone Pickin' (or actually, Sortin')

I will be staring at this for at least the next two weeks....

Yep, lots and lots of those.
I will be dreaming at night of berries rolling past me on the sorting table.
My fingers and hands will be purpley-black.
I will probably be crabby.

See you when we're done!

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...

that you're such a go-getter. you want to be on the move so badly and it's so fun seeing you crawl and get into trouble, and then grin at me with your toothy little grin

that all you want to do right now is stand, because it's "new"

that I came to re-settle you for your nap for the THIRD time and you were proudly standing in your crib, absolutely pleased with yourself that you had finally done it

Berry Boy

I laughed...

when we were trapped in the car with you and you were *singing* "chicken playing a guitar" over and over in a very annoying way, and when I told you to please stop singing "chicken playing a guitar", you obeyed, and instead began to sing "Transformer playing a guitar" over and over (I can't accuse you of not listening)

I love...

that you run outside in your pj's first thing in the morning because your Dad is there working somewhere on the yard

that when I ask you to give me "five more minutes" of sleep in the morning you *usually* do and entertain Berry Baby for me

that you told me we were "having a special day huh?" when we went up to the lake yesterday and did basically nothing, but you were still having fun just being with us

that you *work* really hard with your Dad and *your* workers

Berry Guy

I love...

spending time with you at the lake, sitting on the beach, doing nothing at all

driving in the car with you, talking with you and enjoying being with you, and laughing at your sense of humour while the boys are crashed in the backseat

that you have time off work this year for the berry harvest - you are so much more relaxed about the season this year and it's a pleasure for me to see you like that

that you do jobs for me, like weedwhacking, which you don't really want to do but do anyway

Someone save me from this 4yr old...

Someone please tell me that they also have ridiculous conversations like this with their boys who talk incessantly and ask endless questions...

Berry Boy (looking at a wedding announcement card on our "wall of photo cards" - this picture is of a firefighter and his bride in an antique fire truck) Mom, when were you at that wedding?

Me: I wasn't

BB: Why did you get this picture?

Me: Because they're my friends

BB: (musing some more in front of this photo) Mom? Mom. mommy.

Me: WHAT??? (apparently just looking in his direction does not convince him that I am paying attention, I must also verbally acknowledge him even though he is only 1ft away from me)

BB: What is this? (referring to the antique fire truck)

Me: it's an old fire engine

BB: what's a fire engine?

Me: It's what Fire Fighters drive when they're going to fight a fire

BB: But why are they in it?

Me: because he's a firefighter

BB: Who?

Me: (exasperated - I'm beginning to feel like Abbot and Costello) THE MAN, who else?

BB: what's a firefighter?

Me: (trying not to roll my eyes) a person who fights fire

BB: with what?

Me: (when oh when will the questions end...) with water

BB: but Mom, that's not fighting (apparently he has an image in his head that they actually "fight" with the fire, like with fists and stuff...wierd)

Me: (tersely) yes it is, that's what they do, to put out the fire

BB: who?

Me: (trying hard not to yell now) THE FIREFIGHTERS.

sheesh.

Thankful Thursday

hmmmm, lets see if I can rummage around in my foggy brain for my thankful list...Prairie Chick has already posted hers and it made me hungry...

Today, I thank the Lord for:

• hot strong coffee from my new stainless steel Starbucks coffee press


• the lovely Hutterite ladies who come to pick our berries and tolerate my Berry Boy and his endless chatter


• my Mom who is coming to help take care of my boys and my house during picking


• time off from his "real" job for harvest for Berry Guy (man, he is so much less stressed...)


• the loads and loads of ripe, fat, purple berries hanging off our berry bushes


• my new wood serving tray that I found at Canadian Tire (of all places) because it was EXACTLY what I was looking for


• Berry Boy and Berry Baby settling down at bedtime


• coffee (I know, I mentioned it already, but I'm pretty tired this morning)


• hot summer sun and cool summer evenings


• Superstore clothes on ridiculous sales


• friends who are "real" and who allow me to be "real" too


• friends who come and help me drink more coffee :)


• laying on the blanket outside, reading a book, and "supervising" the slip n' slide

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His nam together" (Ps. 34:1 & 3)

Tricks o' the Trade

Helpful Housewifey HintsJust thought I'd post this little trick I use when I've been shopping in the city all day (or most of the day, like I was today, even though we officially started "picking" today) and I don't have hordes of energy to prepare my usual 4course meal (snorting laugh here).


So here it is:

Pick up a hot roasted chicken at your last grocery stop (Superstore, Costco, Extra Foods...)

You will also need - a tangy BBQ sauce (Bulls Eye Sweet and Sticky is good, or Tony Roma's Carolina Honey), some buns (the Ciabata buns from Costco are nice, so are the buns from our local grocery store), some Mozzarella cheese, and some pickles (optional)


Take the chicken and pull all the meat off. Put it into a pot or a pan (or even into your crock pot if you have a few hours before supper)

Dump the bottle of BBQ sauce over it and stir it together
Heat it up on the stove (or in the crock pot)

Cut and butter the buns and broil them in the oven (or whatever) so that the butter is melted and the buns begin to toast a bit

Load the bun with bbqd chicken, top with a few slices of mozzarella and a pickle slice and serve.


Do any kind of side you like - easiest would be a pre-made salad package, or store bought potatoe salad (I hear Costco has a good one), or chips...you get the idea.
I love this meal - it's easy, it's yummy, it requires little prep, and it's better than frozen pizza (my other fall back). Enjoy.

Wishy-Washy Wednesday

Today is the first day of picking.

I may have mentioned before that Berry Season is not my most beloved time of year.

While I like all the perks that come from having a 20acre berry orchard - I don't have to pick my own fruit (I hate picking), I don't have to sort my own fruit (I hate sorting), and I have fruit in my freezer LONG after everyone else has run out (it's almost a source of pride, I confess), I don't really care for the busyness of this time - Berry Guy is VERY busy, our yard is very busy, I am very busy...I'd rather be reading.

However, the season can no longer be held off, and today is the first day. The Hutterite Colony came rolling onto the yard at 7am and are happily picking away. Berry Boy is happily chatting away and is apparently on a first-name basis with "Josh", the Hutterite man who drives the "girls" here every year. I'm pretty sure that when they come next time Josh will be sure to bring a kid along to play with Berry Boy so that he doesn't have to endure the never ending barrage of comments and questions.

Oh well, time to strap on my "happy face" and be the "good helper" that Berry Boy is always saying that HE is...tomorrow will be another busy day...

Ridiculously Good Recipes

Super Extra Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

I really like regular quesadillas with refried beans and cheese, but these are really good and really cheesy (if you haven't gathered from the name). I got the recipe from a magazine ad (who knew) and made them the other night. They were fab. And super easy.

8oz Cream Cheese, softened

2C shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I couldn't find this locally so I used the Tex Mex blend)

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, diced

1/2C diced tomato

1/2C diced red pepper

1/3C chopped fresh cilantro (didn't have this either so I used green onions)

2Tbsp olive oil (to brush on the tortillas)

Mix together everything (except the oil) in a bowl. Spread over tortillas (the recipe said 5 tortillas but I only got 4 out of this recipe). Top with another tortilla. Brush the outsides of the tortillas with the oil.

Cook in the oven at around 375 (you could also grill them on the BBQ) turning once until browned on both sides and filling is hot.

Cut into wedges and serve warm with salsa and sour cream.

yummmm.

Ugly Shoes

I am doing something I said I would NEVER do...and it irritates me. I said I would NEVER wear or purchase a pair of those ugly rubber shoes everyone seems so mad about. And here I sit, a pair of Dawgs on my feet. A pair of ugly Dawgs. A pair of ugly black clompy-looking Dawgs.

It's all because of my running. I've been doing really well with my running since my sister-in-law started "training" me via email. My motivation is back, my workouts have been GREAT, and everything was falling into place. I ran an easy 5K at our community Street Fair, pushing my 22lb Berry Baby in my fabulous jogging stroller and didn't have to stop once - I was feeling the rush of accomplishment.

Which led to an immediate crash (of course) - I developed the runner's dreaded "plantar fasciitis" which is really just a fancy way of saying my foot hurts. A lot. And I can no longer run until it heals.

Which brings me to the Ugly Shoes. My marathoning friend, who has experience with this injury, told me to definitely not walk around barefoot, and to for sure purchase a pair of Ugly Shoes because they're nice and cushy, and I should wear them around the house. I laughed at her, and then spent the day hobbling around my house until I caved in and ran to town to pick up a pair of Ugly Shoes.

Yes, they are very nice a cushy. Yes, my feet feel very good in them. Yes, they were worth every unfortunate penny I spent on them. But they're so blastedly Ugly. And I could have redeemed the Ugliness with at least getting them in a nice color, but the only color available in my size had to be black. So I am clomping around my house in shorts and these huge ugly black shoes. niiiiiiiice. Heaven help me if I get company....

Mushy Mondays

Berry Baby

I love...
That you are so excited to sleep with your big brother that you giggle and scream for 20 minutes at bedtime until your brother has to come and ask me to take you out of the room so that he can go to sleep (ok, ok, it was completely frustrating for the first two days, but I'm over it)

That you "insist" on "sharing" our food, even though you have had a complete meal of your "own" food

Your chubby chubby thighs - I love squishing them with my hands and making you giggle

Berry Boy

I love...

That you like sleeping with Berry Baby so much that it even eclipsed sleeping in the tent trailer with your Dad

The way you say "come oonnnn" and "how cool is THAT"

The way you are always telling me that you're a "good helper huh?" while you're helping me or your Dad

Berry Guy

I love...

they way you tease me because it says that you love me

your sense of humour

the way you enjoy working on the farm - I'm so excited that you get to take time off this year to do the things you want to do with harvest

In Which Berry Baby and Berry Boy Exasperate Their Mother Together...

ok, I must be more uptight as a mom than the average woman. Last night (Thursday) was night #2 of Berry Baby and Berry Boy sleeping in the same room - or should I say, NOT sleeping in the same room. oh yes, the I'm Too Excited To Sleep Because My Big Brother Is Right There phase is in full swing. Peals of laughter and shrieks of excitement are coming from their room, and while this is VERY cute it is SO not conducive to sleeping.

And I am BIG on sleeping. Especially for kids. And more especially for babies. Because when kids and babies have good sleeps, so do mommies (and I've also heard that it's important for development, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm trying not to kid myself here - my main motivation here is really my own sleep). And so I work VERY hard on making sure that Berry Baby has good naps, because good daytime sleep leads to good nighttime sleep, blah blah blah.

Which is why I am SO frustrated.

Because last night went EXACTLY the same as Wednesday night. Berry Baby went down first, bashed around his crib for an hour and then partied with Berry Boy until I removed the baby so that the boy could fall asleep.

So all my careful napping and bedtime planning are for naught. This irritates the crap out of me. Someone save me from myself. Or give me a better idea for bedtime - mine is OBVIOUSLY not working.

Thankful Thursday

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8



Today is an easy one - I am also thankful for the Rain.

it makes my flowers lush and beautiful

it makes my green bean plants nice and big

it makes my grass look like "nice" grass, but MOSTLY....

it fattens up the gorgeous berries that are absolutely loaded on our Saskatoon bushes.

I'm thankful for the promise of a good harvest, even if something happens that makes the harvest "less" good, and I am thankful for the first handfuls of berries picked by Berry Guy and how amazing they taste.

Wimpy Wednesday

yep, today's the day. D-day. The big M. The switcheroo. The big...umm...ok, I guess I'm out of euphimisms.

Today, I am moving Berry Baby OUT of the office (which has been his bedroom for the last 8months) and into Berry Boy's bedroom. Yep. going to do it. today. this morning. right after I'm done on the computer. unless I can think up another plausable excuse to put it off...

I am both terrified of this and super excited for it.

On the one hand, I am quite sure that the interactions between the boys will be priceless, and an endless source of amusement, and great fodder for blogging.

On the other hand, we have just barely gotten rid of the Crappy Night Wakings For No Good Reason phase, the Waking Up Early Simply To Torment Mom phase, and my favorite, Yelling Shrieking And Crying For Two Hours Before Falling Asleep Just Because I Don't Want To Lay Down phase. I am of course referring to Berry Baby (although Berry Guy is also fond of the Wake Up Early Simply To Torment Mom thing). I have a deep and gnawing fear that all these things will return in the Adjustment To New Surroundings phase, also known as the I'm Too Excited To Sleep Because My Big Brother Is Right There phase.

However, I REALLY want my office space back, and I'm out of reasons to put it off. The bedroom walls and trims are painted, the new blinds are hung, the carpet is cleaned and dry...so I guess I just have to bite the bullet and do it...right away...as soon as I have a bit more coffee...

I'm going to try to stop hyperventilating now.

In Matters of Prayer

I've been repeatedly asking Berry Guy to replace the lightbulb in the hallway - it's been burned out for weeks now and we both keep forgetting about it until it's evening and we need to turn on the hall light. So the other evening Berry Guy finally got to work replacing it. Berry Baby was playing in the hallway at his feet as he started to do this job.

Now, our light fixture cover is frosted glass, about 12" square and flush with the ceiling. As Berry Guy pulled this cover down a bit to get at the lightbulb, the whole thing came down and fell square on Berry Baby's head, shattering glass everywhere around him. Berry Guy yelled, Berry Baby started screaming, I came running and found my baby in the middle of broken glass with the rim of the fixture hanging around his neck. All I could say was "oh God oh God" repeatedly.

Miraculously (and I do not use that word lightly) Berry Baby is absolutely fine. There is just the TINIEST scratch on his precious little cheek. After the glass was cleaned up and dusted off and we knew he was ok, reality kind of hit and I felt like throwing up. That could have been SO much worse. Every time I think about it I get nauseated.

The reason I'm telling this story though is not really to share what a horrific experience that was. This is really more about praying.

I believe in prayer. I absolutely believe that God answers prayer - I've SEEN Him answer prayer many times. I just do not believe that God answers MY prayers.

It seems to me, however incorrect it may be, that if Berry Guy prays for something, God will for sure answer. If I pray for it, most likely nothing happens.

Now I didn't say that my thinking isn't completely flawed - this is just my struggle. And to be honest, it's been a MAJOR struggle since Berry Baby was born. It seemed that through those first horrible 4.5 months God deliberately did NOT answer any of my desperate prayers, to the extent that I have stopped praying altogether. At least by myself. I still pray with Berry Boy, and I've made it part of Berry Baby's bedtime routine to pray with him too.

Which brings me to why I am telling you this whole saga.

Berry Baby's bedtime routing goes like this: bathtime, pjs, bottle while snuggling in the rocker, then we stand up, snuggle by the crib, and I pray a little prayer which almost always goes like this - "Dear Jesus, thank You for giving us a good day. Please give Berry Baby another good sleep tonight. Guard his heart and his mind, keep him safe and help him grow. Amen"

Now this is kind of a routine prayer, but apparently God honors even routine prayer. Because the only reason Berry Baby wasn't horribly hurt in that accident is because God answered my very routine prayer and kept him safe. Just like I ask. Every night.

So I guess I'm out of excuses.

Thank You Lord.

Mushy Mondays

Berry Boy

I love it when you...

say "perkfect" (instead of "perfect") and "puffets" (instead of "puppets" - you will probably go to kindergarten with the worst speech impediments as I refuse to correct you on these things because I think it's too adorable)

wrestle with your baby brother and make him laugh

say "thank you Mom" spontaneously for little things, like taped episodes of "Gofrette"

You made me laugh when...

you told me that a cereal bar was "perkfect" for a 4yr old boy for breakfast

you told me I wasn't having a "happy heart" when I spanked you

you sang "I love you Lord, and I lift my boy..." (instead of "voice" lolol!)

I realised you were growing up some more...

when you told me that you no longer "needed" your "special little blanket" (I tried to insist that yes, you did so still need it...but I couldn't convince you)

Berry Baby

I love it when you...

sleep through the night - you can do this as MUCH as you like, I don't mind at all (just wish you would clue in and do it all the time)

get excited with your ENTIRE body

You made me laugh when...

I fed you chicken for the first time and you crammed it into your mouth so fast you could hardly chew, but still had more in your fist ready to be crammed in with the rest of it (nice to know my cooking skills haven't gone unappreciated)

you fell asleep in your crib...sitting up (lol) I watched you as your body relaxed, started to tip, straightened up, relaxed, tipped...it was too funny.

you found your reflection in the fridge and were so excited to get closer that you banged your nose into the fridge

Berry Guy

I love the way you...

have to immediately set up the new pool and slip-n-slide for Ryan, even though it's after supper and the forcast is for rain the next 4 days

let Berry Boy eat your food with you - you're a "good sharer"

Thank you...

for the new pool

for taking Berry Boy to the shop to work with you and make boxes - you're doing a great job teaching him how to work

When your words come back to haunt you...

This was my unfortunate conversation with Berry Boy yesterday (he was "crying" over something that was not worth crying over):

Me: stop crying right now

BB: I can't

Me: that's enough crying (threaten discipline)

BB: but I like to cry

Me: then I can give you something to really cry about (how "Mom" is that?)

BB: well crying is fun for me

(??? this was a new one - I had to think about this for a minute)

Me: (after some serious deliberation, I decide to try a new tactic) you know, God tells us in the Bible that we should have a happy heart.

BB: (clearly exasperated with me) I know, it was in the kid's story (at church)

Me: (hadn't realised that he remembered that) Yes, well, it makes God happy when we have a happy heart, not when we try to make ourselves cry.

BB: (deliberates on this for a moment) Well Mom (I can sense that I'm going to be in trouble here) YOU didn't have a happy heart yesterday when we were downstairs and you were mad and you gave me a spanking - THAT wasn't having a happy heart. (I am now wishing I had just sent him to his room...)

Me: well, yes, that's true (trying to salvage the POINT of this conversation) Sometimes it's hard to have a happy heart, isn't it?

BB: (nodding enthusiastically)

Me: but God still wants us to do our best and to try to have a happy heart

BB: agrees, and begins listing other times when I have not had a happy heart, and how the kitty doesn't have a happy heart because it's meowing, and when it meows that means it's sad, so it doesn't have a happy heart...at least I know that he's gotten the point.

next time I'm just sending him to his room

Good Morning?

I’d like to be a morning person. Really, I would. I make all kinds of plans to BE a morning person – I prepare the coffee press so that it’s ready to go in the morning, I pre-grind the coffee beans, and I think about all the great things that I will do the next morning: I will be up before the kids, I will enjoy my coffee in relative quiet, I will start my day with devotions, I might even get to watch a little “Canada AM”. (all these things, incidentally, are things that I miss about my life before kids – and they didn’t necessarily require me to be up “early”)

I think part of my problem is that I make these great plans at night, when I have a lot of energy (I don’t in the morning), when I’m psyched about all the things I can do before kids are up (I’m not in the morning), when the idea of a nice quiet morning is attractive (in the morning, it’s just ideal circumstances for sleeping in).

It would be easier to just forget this endeavour if Berry Guy wasn’t SUCH a morning person and constantly telling me how it’s “the best part of the day” and how I’m “wasting” said best-part-of-day. I’d like to believe him, I really would.
But every time morning rolls around and my alarm goes off “early”, I hit the “off” button and roll over. And even though I know that it would be great to start the day off quietly and to myself, man, it sure feels good to keep on sleeping.

So, I guess I’m doomed to being referred to as “the Bear” upon waking (by Berry Guy) and to always starting my day off in a state of confused fog with Berry Boy standing beside my bed asking me if I’m going to "be awake now”.

Sleep on.

But I have such good intentions...

yep, I'm already a day behind. Actually, I'm technically 3 days behind but I managed to double up my reading on two days, which is probably what I will have to do today as well. It frustrates me. It frustrated me last night when I went to bed and realised that my Bible was sitting there on my bedside table and I had forgotten to open it all day long. It frustrates me right now as I write.

I'm not an undisciplined person - I manage to run or workout almost every day, and I make sure it happens because I feel so good after and I like what it's doing for my figure and muscle tone. I force myself to do the dishes every day (even though I hate them) because I love waking up in the morning to a clean kitchen - it's like a fresh start every day.

So WHY is THIS so hard? This should be the best time of my day and really, it should be more important to me than running or dishes. I should be wanting to do it for generally the same reasons I do the other things - I like what it does to my spirit, I feel so good after, it's a fresh start to my day...

All right, enough complaining...the boys are playing, my coffee is hot, I'd better get my Bible and quit procrastinating. I do, after all, have two days of reading to do....

Rantings of an Uninformed Mother

I knew I was in trouble when I first started to "look" at this issue. Actually, I was in trouble before that...I was in trouble when I went to Superstore to buy an extra bottle for Berry Baby only to find that there were NONE, and it crossed my rather tired brain that perhaps they had been pulled off the shelves...not that I actually KNEW anything about it since I rarely watch the news (it's on too late and I'm usually in bed by then, and if I'm not then I'm probably watching "Frasier" because, let's face it, it's just more entertaining). To be honest, the only reason I knew ANYTHING about plastic bottles was because I had kind of overheard a snippet of a conversation at a supper some weeks ago...I am obviously not the most informed mother out there.

So anyway, I went to buy one extra plastic "Playtex Advance" bottle, and there were none.

Up until now, I have been using my Playtex Nursers with the disposable liners. And I like them. There's little to wash (just the nipples and rings, and occaisionally the liner holder), and I HATE washing bottles, and there's no BPA (not that I was concerned about it before this). However, there is a lot of waste (throwing away liners) and I have to remember to BUY said liners.

So I thought it was time to switch over to my other Playtex bottles, which I like because there's no liner to throw away, and they're very easy to wash as both ends come off. Plus, Berry Baby seems to be able to drink a bit faster from these.

But, I only have 4 large bottles, and wanted at least 5, which brings me to Superstore. And a huge issue I knew nothing about.

Apparently, this BPA stuff can leech out of the plastic and into the formula/milk/whathaveyou. Terrible. And apparently it can mimick Estrogen (yikes!). And apparently the Canadian Government, in all their wisdom, has banned the sale and production of these baby bottles (double yikes!). So I figured it must be quite serious. Until I continued reading.

This stuff is not JUST in the baby bottles. It's in the big bottles that hold my water-cooler water (from which I make my formula), it's in some of the cans that we purchase canned food in, and it's in (gasp) the FORMULA container although it is not stamped on there. Which raises the question, WHY are they banning the bottles when they are not even CLOSE to the beginning of the problem? Why pick THIS to make your point?

So now I'm in a tough place. Do I keep using the "bad" bottles, or do I go back to producing excessive waste with the others? I certainly don't want to be "that" mom, feeding her baby in the mall with a toxic bottle, causing other "good" moms to whisper about me behind my back. Or "that" mom on the Oprah show bemoaning the fact that her sons grew breasts because she didn't heed the warnings and continued to use "bad" bottles and if only she had known then what she knows now and calling for a world-wide ban of all bottles and beginning a petition to make breastfeeding mandatory until age 2...

I suppose this wouldn't be a tough decision if it weren't for the fact that the bottle is NOT the only source of BPA in my Berry Baby's diet. And the government banning these bottles is a bit like treating the symptom while ignoring the underlying disease. And I could turn this into a whole new rant about why the government is banning these poor little bottles over something that "might" be a problem, when we KNOW that cigarettes contain all KINDS of horrible, cancer-producing things and yet we STILL don't see the government banning those now do we?

But I won't go there. Because this is about bottles.

I have decided to throw out my plastic BPA-containing bottles. But not for the obvious reasons. They are old (at least 4 years old) and they have been through 3 kids (my own, and two of my friends'). If I knew for sure that they had never been microwaved or had boiling water in them (two things that can cause the leeching of the BPA) then I would be ok with it. But as it is, they are old, a little scratchy, and I'm not certain about the other stuff. So I chucked them. But if I could get my hands on some new ones, I would in a heartbeat. Because, apparently, I am "that" mother ;)

The thought has occurred to me to keep at least ONE bottle, for my own use...if this stuff mimicks estrogen, perhaps it could help me in the boob department...

/end rant.