This post contains questions I've gotten recently (and some not so recently....sorry I'm just now answering!). I thought I'd answer here on the blog in case anyone else has the same question. Ok, here we go. Some of these were easy to answer. Some of them, not so much....
"I am looking for a neutral green for my kitchen and was wondering about the willow branch in your sons room... Is that a green tone?"
Yes, I would consider it a neutral green. Maybe even would call it a "sage". One thing I've learned about paint colors is to pick out a color using the color swatches and then always go one shade lighter once I pick a color. I say this because every time JT would paint a room, it always turned out darker than I expected from looking at the paint sample. We finally started going a shade lighter and love the finished product when we do that. :) Hope this helps!
"What would you say your parenting style is?"
This is hard to answer. I don't really write about parenting much on my blog and do NOT consider myself an expert on the subject. In fact, I'm needing some advice in that area! But, if you're just wondering out of curiosity, I guess I just go with whatever feels natural and best to me. (which could get me into trouble....) When I think of parenting "styles", I think of
Attachment Parenting and such. I wouldn't say I'm a full-on attachment parent, or full-on in the opposite direction either. I would feel safe saying I'm somewhere in the middle. The only other thing that comes to mind is that I'm not a believer in trying to conform every baby to a certain "schedule". Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that babies and children thrive on some sort of
routine, but there is a difference. Every baby/child is different and to think that every baby can adapt to the same thing is really crazy to me. There is no grand book out there that is titled "This Is How To Parent", so no way is right or wrong. It's just whatever fits your baby's temperament and personality. I'm a HUGE fan of
Tracie Hogg, The Baby Whisper. When I read her books, I kind-of get this "duh" feeling because she makes so much sense....almost like I should have known it already. Her books give you a little test to see what type baby you have and
then she directs you on how to parent THAT type baby. I like that. And, it seems I could talk on this subject for days, so I'm going to shut up now. :)
"What is the paint color of your daughter's play kitchen?"
I get this question a lot. The pink we used is called "Blushing". It's Valspar and the number is 2002-4A
The buttery yellow color is called "Jekyll Crane Cottage Yellow". It's also Valspar and the number is 3005-8B. You can find more play kitchen questions/answers in
THIS POST.
"I remember reading on Facebook that you were going to start a series of posts on homeschooling. When are you writing about that? Are you going to homeschool or are you already?"
I'm so glad you asked this (months ago!) because it will hopefully cause me to now get my butt in gear on these posts that I long to share with you all. At this time, we are still not 100% sure if homeschooling is the direction we will take. But, we are prayerfully considering it. I can only speak for myself when I say that I've always felt led to homeschool my children. But, John Taylor has struggled with it and it's something that I absolutely will NOT do if my husband isn't 100% on board. I want and will need his full support on the issue. We have sought the opinions of other spiritually mature adults that we trust who homeschool (all of which did not ever think they would homeshcool their children, but now do) and the here is the advice we got:
Pray about it.
Educate yourself.
Ask questions.
We've done just that. I now have over 50 pages in a Word Document of research I've gathered and want to share it all with you someday. It, along with my thoughts, are scattered and I would like to organize them before sharing. Am I homeschooling now? Well, the answer to that is yes. If you think about it, all stay-at-home moms are. :)
"Are both of your kids drinking Soy milk because they are both lactose intolerant? I think my baby is and I'm thinking of switching to Soy, but I'm scared he won't get the calcium he needs."
My first child did have problems with cow's milk and that is orginally why he started drinking Soy. But, he no longer has problems and he still drinks it. Both our children drink Soy because we choose to give them Soy instead of cow's milk. Here's the thing.....humans are the only mammals to continue drinking milk after weaning - and milk from an entire different species at that!
I am quoting this from an article I've read:
Most of human evolution was fuelled by plant foods, with milk playing the same role as it does in other mammals - produced by mothers for nurturing infants until weaning. The sugar in milk - lactose - is broken down by a special enzyme called lactase, which then gradually disappears after weaning, having done its job. Continuing to drink milk past this point is why so many people are unable to digest lactose, which can remain in the gut and ferment, producing bloating, watery diarrhea, flatulence and stomach cramps.
Those who can cope with cow's milk in the short term face longer-term consequences. It is loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol, animal proteins and sugars, is devoid of fiber, vitamin C and iron and contains only small amounts of vitamins K, E, B1, B2, and B6, magnesium, selenium and zinc. On the plus side, it does contain vitamins A and D, vitamin B12 and calcium. But, it may also contain salmonella, listeria and E.Coli bacteria, hormones such as oestrogen and antibiotic residues.
Cow's milk infant formulas have been linked to allergies, type I (insulin dependent) diabetes and even cot death. Soy-based infant formulas are an excellent alternative and have been used safely for over 60 years and despite the scare stories, there is no evidence of damage to a baby's mental or physical development.
If that isn't enough....milk has also been proven to be linked to breast, colon and prostate cancer. Saturated fat also promotes obesity which effects fertility. Contrary to what you may hear, all the same essentials are in Soy milk. We buy organic and I've compared the cartons. I also believe that the milk companies have spent billions of dollars to promote their product, making citizens believe they "need" this product to live, or else they are not healthy. So, that is why my kids drink Soy.....if you're still reading. :)
I feel that is plenty for now. I will post Part 2 soon!
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Labels: About, QandA
