Don't Drink Your Milk

WARNING: This is a long, albeit very interesting, post, just so ya know!

In our home, we don't drink milk.
Some find this absurd, since of course there is a massive money-making campaign in this country that proclaims the health benefits of drinking this white concoction. It is even now supposedly proven to enhance weight-loss.
Schools, childcare centers, hospitals all have it as a staple on their menus, buying into the advertisement that "Milk. It does a body good".
But, does it? Mind you, I am just stating my opinions, based on personal experiences, that I truly believe milk to be one of the most dreadful food items a person could put in his body. My opinion is based on a lot of research prompted by my son's recurring illness as an infant/toddler. Here is what I know:

Years ago I began my research into the qualities of milk after myfirstborn son had repeated ear infections and was constantly ill--coughing, hacking, wheezing, sinus infections, nose bleeds, diarrhea, ear infections..I could go on. His ears remained infected no matter what types of antibiotics he was given. After being directed by a close family friend toward the idea that milk could be the underlying problem, I removed from his diet all milk-containing items for two weeks. At that point I was willing to try anything for my little guy. It was incredible, really. Within days he began to have clear drainage instead of the thick, green glue-like substance that had invaded his little body, and soon after had no drainage at all. Not to mention not one single ear infection to date since the removal of milk from his diet.
When I shared with his pediatrician the change I had made in Jacob's diet and the remarable effects, at Jacob's 2 year well-check, he was skeptical and recommended a profylactic antibiotic instead--to ward off the recurrence of any ear infections-- and to immediately place him back on milk--that his body needed the calcium.
Needless to say, soon after that appointment, I changed pediatricians. (Incidentally we have the same pediatrician now that I switched to then, and he is and has always been totally supportive of the milk-free diet for children.)
Jacob thrived on his Rice milk and soy diet, why would I consider even toying with the possibility that it was all coincidence and "test" it by placing milk back into his diet?
So, now, three children, 8 years, and much research later, none of my kids drink milk and aside from Max, who suffers some with his ears but due to an abnormality in ear structure not diet, none of Jacob's siblings have experienced the level of health issues he experienced at such a young age. This requires some effort on my part, because in school the children are not offered water as a substitue for milk and in chidcare, a doctor's note is required before the center will halt serving milk to the child.

Here are some interesting facts about milk. Medically proven and research-supported: Much of this research and facts can be located at notmilk.com

Milk contains 59 hormones and Of those 59 hormones one is a powerful GROWTH hormone called Insulin- like Growth Factor ONE (IGF-1). By a freak of nature it is identical in cows and humans. Consider this hormone to be a "fuel cell" for any cancer... (the medical world says IGF-1 is a key factor in the rapid growth and proliferation of breast, prostate and colon cancers, and we suspect that most likely it will be found to promote ALL cancers).

IGF-1 is a normal part of ALL milk... the newborn is SUPPOSED to grow quickly! What makes the 50% of obese American consumers think they need MORE growth? Consumers don't think anything about it because they do not have a clue to the problem... nor do most of our doctors.

80% of the protein in milk is casein. Casein is a powerful binder... a
polymer used to make plastics... and a glue that is better used to make
sturdy furniture or hold beer bottle labels in place. It is in
thousands of processed foods as a binder... as "something" caseinate.

Casein is a powerful allergen... a histamine that creates lots of
mucus. The only medicine in Olympic athlete Flo-Jo's body was Benedryl, a power antihistamine she took to combat her last meal... pizza.

Cow's milk is allowed to have feces in it. This is a major source for bacteria. Milk is typically pasteurized more than once before it gets to your table... each time for only 15 seconds at 162 degrees Fahrenheit.
To sanitize water one is told to boil it (212 degrees F) for several minutes. That is a tremendous disparity, isn't it!

PUS:
ONE cubic centimeter (cc) of commercial cow's milk is allowed to have up to 750,000 somatic cells (common name is "PUS") and 20,000 live bacteria... before it is kept off the market.
That amounts to a whopping 20 million live squiggly bacteria and up to 750 MILLION pus cells per liter (bit more than a quart).

LEUKEMIA
According to Hoards Dairyman (Volume 147, number 4)... 89% of America's dairy herds have the leukemia virus

"Milk is a very strong pollutant: it is about 400 times more polluting than untreated sewage. To put it another way, 1,000 gallons of milk has the same polluting potential as the untreated sewage from a town of 7,000 people." Morlais Owen. Chief Scientist for Welsh Water. North Wales Weekly News. 24.3.88.

So says Dr. John McDougle:
If a patient bargained with me, "I'll give up only one of the first two food groups "meat or milk" - hopes of getting well," my recommendation for almost all common health problems in Western society would be, "You're likely to get the most benefits if you give up the dairy products."

So, still gonna reach for that tall glass of milk with those OREO cookies?
Trust me, Rice, Soy, even Goat milk offers a healthful and tasty substitute!

Transgressions, confessions, and blogs

So, I need to confess.
In doing so I may lose some of you readers and writers (whom I admire for your talent and always appreciate your responses) who regularly visit my blog. But I ask,
What is a blog if not a chance to express feelings, even if others may not agree?
What is a blog if not a record of actions and reactions in one's life?
What is a blog if not a true picture of the real person within, who may not always be the kindest, sweetest, and make the best decisions?
Yes, this particular entry in my WebBlog journal is for me. A chance to feel vulnerable, to expose parts of myself so that they may be healed. For me to reflect upon later as a reminder of how certain human emotions can trigger reactions inside and actions outside that can surprise and horrify.
Because I made a decidedly inappropriate decision today that I wish to never repeat.

I do know that I could just keep this information to myself, and none of you would be the wiser. But I would know. Oh, I would know. If there is one thing I am trying to accomplish with my Blog besides improving my writing abilities, it is the chance to recognize within myself my own patterns of behavior by rereading my posts as time goes by, and addressing these patterns in an effort to eradicate any inappropriate responses I may be exhibiting. I also wish to present an accurate picture of myself and my little life over here in the Carolinas, as interesting or rather, uninteresting as it may be.

I am not a perfect Momma, have never proclaimed to be, would never want to be, but today I feel like one of those moms. The mothers I have always held in lower regard than I, the ones that hurt their children. A phrase from my childhood days in the Church echoes through my head with resounding realization 'Judge and ye shall be judged'. I have judged and now it is my turn.
This morning, after trying to break up yet another fight between my two boys, I hit my eldest son in a fit of rage and frustration. Immediately I recoiled in frightful realization of what just happened. I taught him a lesson alright, with my hands instead of my words or proper discipline. A lesson he will likely never forget.
In some frantic effort to save face or explain myself, let me say that I have always subscribed to the idea that hitting or spanking never teaches anything in the long run except violent tendencies. And beleive me when I say that as for discipline techniques and tactics, I have tried all of the alternatives to spanking--some of which work, most of which do not.

But alas, as if the physicality was not yet enough, I also committed another atrocity in these frightful moments that I had promised mylsef that I would never do. In this heated moment, I compared my son to his father (for those of you who aren't aware, my children's father is a deadbeat who has been out of the picture for years now). I could see the pain rush across his face.
What have I done? In this moment, I have never felt lower as a mother. More humiliated. More lost.
I caused my son physical pain as well as emotional pain, but it is the latter that most concerns me, makes me weep, for those scars run deeper and heal so very slowly.

I have apologized profusly to my little boy, of course promised that such an exchange will never take place again, and we cried together. Of course he says, "it is ok Mom". The pure innocence of children never ceases to amaze me. They are supreme beings in that when they say it is ok, they actually mean it. But I know better. It is not ok.
Indeed, it is not.
Forgive me, my son.

Playdates, cupcakes, and all that Kidstuff!

No, this is not a happy, grinning, smiley, the world of Mommyhood is just peachy post, so if you are expecting such sweetness to drip from my words, sorry to disappoint.
Today we made cupcakes AND had a playdate at our... apartment.
Notice the emphasis on the word apartment in the above sentence. Just picture it for a small fleeting moment--six kids running wildly through the tiny apartment, from room to room, climbing on things, throwing things, dumping things. Apparently my boys lost their minds for a brief, (punishment will ensue later) moment.
AND the Baby was screaming her head off and running around wildly through the ever-messy/cluttered apartment (as it seems to be these last dog days of summer vacation as I frantically search for new activities to entertain my children).
One thing Motherhood will afford you whether or not you seek it is multitasking and the ability to tune out even the most annoying of Kid-noises when the situation at hand requires it. That crazy Barney music toy? Nope I didn't hear it. It was going off for fifteen minutes? Oh, sorry, nope, did not notice. This particular talent can come in handy from time to time, I assure you.

After I cleaned the frosting from my hands, gathered everyone, and got them settled in their room, the boys--all 4 of them-- them went on a mission to thoroughly tear it apart , from top to bottom--all the kids together--a horrid, icky, sticky (from the cupcakes) mess.
I can't stand messes..especially the ones of a sticky variety all over bedcovers and TVs. Messes make me tremble inside.
I have been told by many that messes are a part of life, and they can be cleaned up. I KNOW. I STILL DON'T LIKE THEM, I say. Do I have to like messes just because I am a Mom? Like, is that a requirement? If so, I found a loophole I am proud to announce, because I hate messes and I am definitely a Mom four times over.

So, our day is ending, the room is nearly back to normal after an hour of cleaning. My sanity is hiding at the bottom of a Beer which I will 'seek and find' as soon as the kids aren't looking, or hopefully have passed out somewhere in front of a TV playing repeatedly a DVD with very annoying ,hypnotic kidsongs that have crooned them into the world of lullabyes one can only know as a child.


Edited to add: I did not get to the Beer , but the few pieces of Dove chocolate that I ate did the trick. I also want to clear up any misconceptions--I do not drink on a regular basis by any means, but hey, sometimes ya need a little "something", ya know?

Future Grad

Future Graduate? You bet! Meet Jacob, my
oldest child. (thanks to a friend, It was brought to
my attention that I did not have any
photos of my first-born posted) Here he is wearing my
cap from my graduation ceremony last Friday.



Ok. Now balancing Diploma cover and other junk
Guess he is just 'over it' and ready to go home.

Matter of Opinion

Over the weekend, I had an interesting conversation with someone for whom I care deeply and admire very much.
However, we don't see eye-to-eye on very many things. He is very philosophical, always asking himself the BIG questions and attempting to define his own answers. This is not a bad thing, don't misunderstand. I also subscribe to the opinion that more of us should actually think about the values we hold close and why we believe what we believe instead of just performing like robots in the command of others. As a people, we would certainly be more enlightened in every sense.
The topic of conversation this late evening was whether or not the concept of 'Humanity' even exists and if so, how is it truly and adequately defined. Loaded question to say the least. And of course, as all BIG questions, has no cut-and-dry answer
My feeling is this: We reap what we sow. If we give out ugliness, hatefulness, or indifference, it returns to us within the realm of Universal Justice and Karmic consequences (see earlier post for a demonstration of this). My position is that humankind has become frighteningly able to kill man, woman, and child alike with lack of conscience. We have become desensitized to the plight of others, to the feelings of others. This is depicted on the evening news, no matter which channel you tune in to.
Humanity, as a concept, in my estimation, is a whole with no missing pieces. All of us are equal on the most important level--the level of life. We all have a purpose and a role to play. What other level really matters when it comes down to the last few moments of life?
Love Thy Neighbor. Make Love Not War.
Now, my conversational partner (hiya Thins!) would and did adamantly disagree.
His opinion is that people must earn their position in society in order to have worth. A bum in the gutter is not as deserving as a person who works to support himself and his family, prepares for his future. A person that sits home and collects a welfare check when he is able to work deserves no place within society, or should be established at a considerably lower place on the human-worth scale than a hard-working father of three.( Here I must interject, that I deal with this on a daily basis in the community in which I reside and it is damn hard to hold my own belief of humanity in these circumstances, and certainly I am guilty at times to viewing these people as on a different level because so many of them do just "hang out and hold up the front stoop"--the feeling of entitlement reigns supreme). He says, When given a choice as to whom to aid in a time of tragedy, offer asistance to the person that contributes to society, thereby weeding out the ones that don't over time. He basically feels that the concept of 'Humanity' is undefinable and maybe doesn't even exist, except of course, on the political platforms of the bleeding liberals.

So, tell me, on which side of the issue do you stand?

Wiped

This, my friends, is my primary motivation for taking them all to the pool. 'Nuf said. (I think the baby got more sunscreen in her hair than on her body, by the looks of her--kind of bedraggled!)

Karma

On the way to the daycare to drop off Serenity, we witnessed an interesting exchange.
A trash truck (and you know how loudly a toddler can and will announce the presence of a BIG TRUCK) stopped in the middle of the road and proceeded to back itself up.
Now, there was some warning as to what the driver's intentions were and I had plenty of time to stop, give him ample space to allow him to do what he needed to do in order to maneuver his truck into a frighteningly small area. Those of us on the 'right side' of the road, literally as well as figuratively, decided that we could be patient enough to help this truck driver out--what is a few more minutes when traffic is already congested? On the opposite side of the road however, a small bug-like car stopped up under the a*s of this truck as it was sitting sideways in the middle of the road. Since driver of said little car had the phone on her ear, we gathered she was pretty much oblivious to what was underway.
As I am sitting there watching I began to get nervous as the truck continued to back itself up across the white line toward little car. The driver of the little car--a female (as if that really matters)--sits there stubbornly although it is possible for her to back her little irritating car out of the way. So, the truck continues to back itself up and at the last moment stops after the female driver honked repeatedly and yelled a few expletives from the window. The truck pulled forward and little car went on through, because wherever it's destination, it was more important that any of ours of course. OF COURSE. Because that is how people drive in my town.

Eventually the trash truck gets itself situated to reverse into the tiniest parking lot ever paved and we can all pass through. He waves, we wave and all is well.
I continue toward and arrive at the childcare center, take my time getting Serenity situated with a toy and a friend, get back in my car and travel back the way I came. As I near a traffic light a bit beyond the place where the truck repositioned itself only a half hour earlier, I see something vaguely familiar in the distance. What is it, you wonder? And what before my wondering eyes should appear? Yep, you got it. Little car with it's now-distraught driver hanging out on the side of the road.
Driver was yelling frantically into the cell, probably explaining how she managed to swap paint with the BMW in front of her.
Ahhh Karma. Sweet Karma. Universal Justice prevails again.

Had little car's driver waited a couple of minutes for the truck earlier that morning, odds are that she would not have found herself exchanging information with "new friend".

Moral of this story--a little patience and kindness might actually save you money in the long run.
And hey, admit it, we all like to save a penny or two in the grand scheme of things.