Like A Canary In A Coal Mine

Ben trying to look serious while
eating an ice cream sandwich.

Today we went for a follow up visit for Ben to our Naturopath doctor.  Except this time instead of meeting with Dr. Larrow (who I love and will remain my doctor), we got to meet Dr. Morgan, new to the practice, who specializes in children - especially children with spectrum disorders and ADD/ADHD.  Because Ben's behavior has been so great these past few months (aside from the occasional Stage 2 binge, or stupid yellow cheese incidents) our main issue to work on now is the remaining "brain fog", focus and attention issues. 

I have tried for the past month not to get my hopes up that Dr. Morgan would have answers to all my questions. 

But the instant we sat down in his office, after I saw how well he treated Ben, I could tell instantly that he was the right doctor for my son.  First of all, he already knew all about the Feingold Diet, and had even prescribed it for his patients in the past.  There was no need for me to educate him on this food program.  Second, I was able to talk freely to him about the food triggers we've identified for Ben, what I was thinking of eliminating next, and the results we have been seeing. 

Usually, when I start to tell a new audience about our diet, food triggers, the fact that Ben can't eat strawberries or he turns back into the exorcist - I always speak freely but internally I brace myself.  Because usually people think I'm a freak, or that I'm blaming food for bad parenting, or that I'm depriving my poor kid of strawberries, or that I'm simply nutso.  But Dr. Morgan got it.  He understood.  Not only that but he's been there - he also has a son with issues. 

And as soon as I realized that we could speak on the same level, I stopped, and I thanked him.  Until now my only resource has been the internet, the Feingold online forum, the Feingold Facebook page - people across the country, but nobody in the flesh and blood.  Not only is he a real person, but he is someone who actually knows way more about this stuff than I do, and can actually be a resource!  Realizing this was very overwhelming for me, such a relief, and it was all I could do to sit there and thank him and not cry. 

Dr. Morgan explained some of the science to me, about why kids like Ben can't seem to tolerate even natural foods without having severe behavioral or physical symptoms.  My goodness, there is science behind it!  A rational explanation!  Music to my ears.  He also told me a story about how miners used to take a canary into the coal mine with them - and when the canary died, they knew the air was bad and they needed to move to safer areas.   Dr. Morgan said our children are the canary in the coal mine with regard to our food now days.  Their bodies are not as developed so they show symptoms much earlier than our adult bodies would. 

The best part of our visit today - we have a plan!  And not some plan that I concocted from a few hours of internet research (although I have to say I haven't done so bad this past year using this method).  Ben will take probiotics to help heal his tummy, another supplement I can't even pronounce to do something I can't even understand (but he gave me some take home reading to try and learn about it), and a stronger dose of fish oil for the important omegas. After four weeks we will meet again and tweak our doses and our plan if need be.

I'm not going to lie, having all these supplements for Ben takes a leap of faith.  Knowing that Dr. Morgan is as passionate as I am on this issue, knows way more about it than I do, and has his own child with similar experiences - it all makes me trust that this is the right journey for us to be on.  God puts people on your path when you need them, and I'm pretty sure that is why Dr. Morgan came to us when he did. 

I am so excited (but still trying not to get my hopes up) that Ben's "brain fog" may someday be nothing but a fuzzy memory.

For more on Dr. Morgan and Revolutions Natural Medical Center please click here. 

Celebrating Success

Hooray, third week of school and we are celebrating success already!  Ben brought home an A on his reading test from last Friday, and Lia already got a star on her first RAH (Read At Home) Book! 

Ben and I had to stop by the store on the way home and he saw the freezer full of ice cream sandwiches.  He asked if we could make them at home and I told him, absolutely!

So. . . TA-DA!!  Vanilla ice cream on a Vanilla Chip Cookie Sandwich!  They were scrumptious!!

I used a typical chocolate chip cookie recipe but used the Ghiradelli White Chips (which are made from vanilla - no cocoa!) instead of chocolate chips.  The Breyers All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream is a staple around here, so I just scooped that between two cookies.  I'm to the point where I can make cookie dough in about five minutes, and bake them while we're eating dinner. 

And the end result is so much better than that stuff in the grocery freezer. 

Arenas And Politics

As you now know, I am involved in Fair And Open Competition Sacramento - a group that is sponsoring a ballot initiative to remove Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) from taxpayer funded projects in the City and County of Sacramento.  PLA's mandate that all construction workers pay union dues (even if they have chosen not to be union), be dispatched from a union hiring hall, and pay their benefit and pension money to the union (even though they don't use the benefits and don't vest in the pension).  Our group thinks PLAs are discriminatory against non-union workers and cost taxpayers billions of dollars (since reduced competition equals higher construction prices) and should not be legal.

A couple of weeks ago I was at an industry event and spoke to an unnamed Mayor of an unnamed City that will be building an unnamed sports complex.  I introduced myself to the Mayor and explained that I am with Royal Electric Company, the second largest electrical contractor in Sacramento. 

Mayor:  "That's great!"

Me:  "You know, if you have a PLA on the arena project, we won't be able to bid it because we have non-union employees.  We need to keep that project free of a PLA."

Mayor:  "It's too late, that's already a done deal."

Me:  "You realize a comprehensive study just came out that shows PLA's increase the cost of construction by 13 to 15%?"

Mayor:  "You don't have to tell me.  I get it.  But politics are too strong in this City." 

And there you have it folks.  Even though something like a PLA doesn't make any sense, on a project that may not ever even be fully funded as it is, taxpayers will be forced to pay 15% more for no other reason than the construction unions have a hold on the politicians in our community.  This is why our initiative is needed, because politicians can't make the right choices for taxpayers when their re-election dollars come from special interests. 

What does this equate to in dollars?  The arena is said to cost around $340 Million.  With a PLA on the project, that cost could rise to $391 Million - over $50 Million more. 

How many teachers, firefighters and police could $50 Million keep employed?

Unions say a PLA is needed for several reasons:  ensure local labor, ensure trained labor, ensure higher pay for the workers, ensure legal citizens, and to keep the project on budget and on time.  But public projects already mandate worker pay (our employees would actually make much less on a PLA project than we currently pay them because their benefits and pension would go to the union and not to the worker), and the other items can be mandated by contract without regard to union affiliation.  For example, our company uses e-verify (a federal program) to make sure our employees are all legal workers.  The unions do not verify their members unless a project has this as a contractual requirement.  Many contracts also require goals for hiring local workforce, without regard to union affiliation. 

And the part about on time and on budget is ridiculous.  As long as companies are prequalified for a project (meaning the Owner reviews the contractor's history of past performance) it makes no difference whether a company is union or non union. 

Seventeen of the top twenty five electrical contractors in the Sacramento area are not union.  A PLA on the arena (or any other project) would keep these companies from bidding on the project.  That leaves only two electrical contractors big enough to handle a project the size of the arena.  What do you think it would do to their pricing if they knew they were bidding against only one other company instead of ten? 

Is that really how you want your tax dollars being spent? 

For more information, please see the website for our ballot initiative at Fair And Open Competition Sacramento, and please sign our petitions if you see them at retail centers near you.  (And don't worry, the signature gatherers are not paid felons as the union-sponsored radio ads suggest!) 

Coopcake

Cooper likes my homemade cupcakes.  And I like Cooper.  It's a good match.

Trade It Tuesday

I'm not going to lie.  I totally ran out of time last night to prepare my Trade It Tuesday post.  But just so I don't totally let you down. . . .

There are days (like today) when you are just too busy to make dinner.  Here is what we do in that situation.

In-N-Out uses all natural ingredients, and oil that contains no preservatives.  You can read about theircommitment to quality, including butchering the beef themselves, making their own dough for buns, and using only the finest produce and cheese. 

Things to watch out for: their drink menu is limited.  They carry Minute Maid Pink Lemonade, which I'm not sure is all natural (the yellow Minute Maid is all natural but does contain corn syrup so we avoid it).  If I know we're eating there, I will bring a couple of those Horizon 8 ounce milk boxes or cans of Santa Cruz Lemonade.  If I don't know we'll be eating there, my kids drink water.  Also, I don't know what brand of ketchup they use.  Since many mainstream brands have corn syrup, we also avoid the ketchup.

Another thing we will do on a night like tonight is PIZZA!!  We finally were brave enough to try a local pizza joint, and I asked a million questions before ordering.  I determined what was in their tomato sauce, looked at labels of the sauce to see if it contains corn syrup, asked the ingredients in their dough.  We don't order the kids any meat from the pizza place (they either get a Margarita Pizza - which is cheese, basil and tomatoes - or we actually bring our own sliced ham).  But we do get mushrooms, olives, cheese, pineapple, etc.  The kids love it when we go out for pizza. 

I would now post a picture of what NOT to eat out in a pinch.  But that would consume far too much blog space. 

Coolest Chick Ever

This is my cousin Emily, who is getting married next month.  I was more than happy to provide a venue for her bridal shower at my house last Saturday.  Em is about four years younger than I am, but she has done so much cool stuff in her life. Way more than I would ever dare to do.

She surfs.  She snowboards.  She hikes mountains.  She hikes cliffs in a bikini.  She rides scooters.  She travels by herself to Nicaragua.  She's absolutely gorgeous.  She can drink tequila like no other.  And she is super, super fun to be with.  For how cool she is, she's also very down to earth. 

Her husband-to-be seems pretty cool too. 

Emily's mom, along with my grandma, aunt and cousin, decorated our game room beautifully.  It was a total transformation from our usual kid-cluttered room.  Little did they know the cabinets and closets were brimming with toys that I had stashed in there the night before! 

Cost of Living

This song by Ronnie Dunn absolutely touches me to the core.  You can listen to it here on You Tube, but here are some of the lyrics:

Everything to know about me, is written on this page,

the number you can reach me, my social and my age.

Yes I served in the army, it's where I learned to shoot,

18 months in the desert, pouring sand out of my boots.

No I've never been convicted of a crime,

and I can start this job anytime.

I got a strong back, steel toes

I rarely call in sick, a good truck, 

what I don't know, I catch on real quick.

I work weekends if I have to, nights and holidays.

Give you 40 and then some, whatever it takes.

Four dollars and change at the pump -

the cost of livin's high and going up. 

I'm sure a hundred others have applied.

Rumor has it you're only taking five. 

I got a strong back, steel toes,

I'm handy with a wrench.

There's nothing I can't drive, nothing I can't fix.

I work sun up to sun down,

ain't too proud to sweep the floors.

The bank has started calling and the wolves are at my door.

Four dollars and change at the pump -

the cost of livin's high and going up.  

Listening to this song I picture the guys who work for us - the craftsmen out on our projects, making a living to support their family.  I think of the guys we've had to let go because of this recession, guys we really wanted to stay but couldn't keep busy.  And I think of their wives, their kids.  I also think of how many times I've been asked "Hey, are we hiring, because I have a brother/cousin/friend/uncle who can't find work?"  

The construction industry has been one of the hardest hit by this recession.  And we are nowhere near seeing an increase in work.  Our estimators work so hard every day to try and land another project, but with significantly less work out to bid, we are bidding against significantly more competition.  And so far, we're one of the lucky companies that are still doing okay, considering.  

The man in this song is real to me.  He is an employee, he is a person off the street looking for work, he is my husband, or my brother.  He is a man who is willing to do anything to support his family.  

Yet as somebody who should be able to actually give this hardworking man a job, my hands are tied.  Until this economy picks up, I will have to continue turning him away.  And it breaks my heart.  

I Got Booted

Five years ago I was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Apprenticeship Council.  (That was back when we were fairly certain he was a groper, but didn't know he was an adulterer.)

It was a very big honor for me to serve on the CAC.  The Council is a commission set up to oversee the State's handling of apprenticeship issues in California.  We would hear appeals from apprentices, appeals regarding new or expanding programs, research and try to resolve issues affecting apprenticeship, and draft legislation to fix problems with current laws regarding apprenticeship. 

For many, many, MANY years the CAC has been a very political council.  The politics comes from the union vs. non union sides of the construction industry, even though the council also oversees apprenticeship in other industries.

In a nutshell, here's the political battle (and believe me when I tell you I'm not joking):

The union side truly believes that merit shop (non-union) business owners want to exploit workers in every way possible, and that merit shop programs do not really train apprentices, they are just a way for greedy business owners to pay lower wages.  (Seriously, you can ask any union journeyman about this and they will confirm this belief.)  On the other side of the aisle, merit shop programs don't give a damn about the union programs, they just want to provide a choice to employers that want apprentices but don't want to sign with a union. 

But the key here is that the unions do not want competition. 

You see there are laws in California that to perform public works projects, contractors must make sure that 16.7% of their workforce are state registered apprentices.  If no merit shop apprenticeship programs exist, then employers are forced to dispatch union apprentices and pay into the union pension and benefit plans. 

When Grey Davis was Governor, the 17 member CAC was comprised almost solely of union backed commissioners (most of which were themselves members of one union or another).  It was literally 99% impossible for a merit shop program to be approved.  When Schwarzenegger became governor, he balanced the CAC and it was truly represented half by union leaning folks, and half non-union leaning folks.  And we got a lot of business done. 

Well, most of us Schwarzenegger appointees have terms that have now expired.  And Governor Brown is following in the footsteps of Grey Davis.  Today he reappointed three of the union leaning commissioners, but replaced us non-union leaning commissioners with more union leaning commissioners.  Once again, the balance is gone. 

I am disappointed that my time on the CAC is over.  I have met wonderful people, union and non-union alike.  I have especially enjoyed getting to know "The Ladies of the CAC" - a group of strong, opinionated, wonderful ladies who served with me on the CAC. 

The Ladies of the CAC
Julia Dozier, Kate Leyden, Anne Quick and me. 
Not pictured:  Donna Bechtold & Lucy Wang

But mostly I am just depressed that in this state our politicians and appointees are owned by the unions.  And these commissions, appointees and politicians make rules that the rest of us have to follow, when unions only represent less than 20% of our population.  The more and more I get involved with politics, the more I see that it doesn't represent the people - it represents the special interests. 

And now that I have free time I'll be darned if I can't find a way to actively fight those special interests in favor of the people who live in California. 

Mommy Stalker

Just to clarify, I don't mean a person who stalks Mommies.  I mean a Mommy who stalks her children. 

That Mommy would be me.

Yesterday was Lia's first day riding the bus to school in the morning.  She hesitated at the last minute before getting on and said, "Mommy I want you to take me to school!"  I wanted to respond, "Okay baby, let me pick you up and carry you to kindergarten."  But I resisted the urge and instead said, "Nope, go get on the bus with Ben."  And she did.

Then, because I'm an irrational woman, I just knew that there would be a terrible bus rollover or that Bus Driver Tom (who has been driving that route for MANY years and has been Ben's bus driver for two years) would suddenly want to hijack the bus with my babies and take them to Mexico.  So I did what any good, irrational woman would do - I drove to the school and sat in the parking lot to make sure my kids got off the bus okay.

It feels a little creepy to sit in a parking lot of a school when you don't have any kids with you. 

After watching three other buses dropping off kids, and starting to get worried that maybe Bus Driver Tom got lost on his route, the bus pulled up.  I watched with fascination as Ben got off the bus with Lia and his friend Brayden from his class.  Ben lifted the chain barrier so both girls could walk underneath, and he opened the kindergarten gate for them.  At that point Lia hesitated - maybe she didn't instantly spot her BFF Ella - so Ben put his arm around his sister and walked her over to her classroom! 

And that was the first time this school year that I got tears in my eyes. 

My kids can fight like cats and dogs, but when nobody's watching, they do kind things for each other.  That is something that will last long after this Mommy Stalker is gone. 

Someone Special

There are times when God brings someone into your life at the exact moment you really need it.  So it was when I met my friend Linda.  Ben was a little over three and had been in preschool for a month.  And he was on the verge of getting kicked out.  He clearly did not want to be there and was doing everything possible to make sure he got sent home every day.  We gave him consequences at home, but nothing seemed to work.  And it was increasingly and glaringly clear to us that the preschool had no desire to help us through it.  They wanted him out. 

We needed a new daycare situation fast.  A coworker recommended her mom to me, except that her mom couldn't do five days a week.  Then she mentioned that her aunt also did daycare.  Linda was my coworker's aunt. 

The minute I walked into her house and met Linda, I knew it was the place for Ben.  There was no chaos, the kids there were happy, the place was clean.  Ben started the next day.  We loved Linda so much we moved Lia there as soon as we could give notice at her daycare. 

Now, almost four years later, Linda is like family to us.  Even though we've had to move to a daycare closer to our house once the kids started school, the kids always ask me when they can go visit Linda.  Linda's cool demeanor, take-no-prisoners-attitude, and generosity and warmth provided a wonderful atmosphere for my babies.  She was absolutely what Ben (and I) needed those few years ago.  And she never gave up on us even though these were years before Feingold, when Ben's behavior was still a major problem. 

This past summer I took my kids to Linda's house on Fridays to break up the summer monotony, so they could visit Linda and their friends.  I think it says something that Linda is always on my kids' invitation list for birthday parties.  You can always tell someone's character by watching how little kids react to them.  Linda's character is impecable. 

I am so thankful for Linda's influence in our lives and I know that she will be a friend for many years.  And if anyone needs a daycare in Elk Grove, let me know and I will give you her number!  (And Linda, sorry again for insisting on a picture with the kids at 7:30am when you weren't expecting it!) 

Trade It Tuesday

By request, today's topic:  Hot Dogs!

Yes, believe it or not, there is an all natural version.  Of course, there aren't too many options, so this will be a short Trade It Tuesday post.

First, though, I found a cool website while Googling "hot dog ingredients" called LabelWatch.com - and it seems pretty thorough.  You search for a food, by type or brand name, and it lists all the ingredients in that food, along with links to explain what each ingredient really is.  It also color codes beneficial, neutral and cautionary ingredients for easy reference (although I think some of the ingredients they classify as neutral should actually be cautionary).

I searched hot dogs and got this link.  Click on it and you can see how many "Cautionary" ingredients are in your brand of hot dog.  IF YOU DARE!!!

Or, you can try some of these. . . .

Wellshire Farms Premium Beef Franks - All natural product free of preservatives, nitrates, added nitrates or antibiotics.

Also, found the coolest link - the Wellshire Farms website lets you search with "Feingold Stage 1" or "Feingold Stage 2" as the criteria.  Awesome!

Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog
Ingredients:  Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Sea Salt, Celery Powder, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Spices, Organic Paprika (Feingold Stage 2).

Dietz & Watson Beef Frankfurters
Ingredients:  Beef, Water, Salt, Nonfat Dry Milk, Isolated Soy Protein, Flavoring, Sugar, Paprika, Sodium Phosphate, Garlic Puree, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrate.  (These are Feingold Stage 2)








Our choice for the last year has been the Wellshire Farms brand, mainly because I can find them.  Hot dogs are one of the few things that has been hard for me to find, so whenever I go to Whole Foods, I buy about six packages and just freeze them.  We don't eat that many hot dogs except when we're camping, but they are also a go-to meal when the babysitter is cooking dinner, too.

I also just Googled "All Natural Hot Dogs" and quite a few options came up.  The brands all have "where to buy" links to help you find a store near you that carries their products.

Hot dogs have a very bad reputation for containing ingredients that are less than stellar.  At least choose a brand that keeps out artificial flavors and preservatives!

The First (Ever For Some) Day Of School

Lia must have been excited for her first day of Kindergarten because she woke up at 6am and was WIDE AWAKE!!  What a busy morning we had.  Showers for both kids (we did that this morning so we could avoid bed-head in our first day of school pictures).  Dressed, fed a good breakfast of bacon and eggs for Lia, bacon and waffles for Ben.  Since I'm getting smarter, I had the kids take their first day of school photo BEFORE breakfast, which is why Ben's shirt is so clean in this picture. 

First drop off - Lia at 8:45.  We got to the Kindergarten playground and Lia searched the area for Ella.  When they spotted each other. .. . . you wouldn't have known they just saw each other yesterday. 

Mrs. P the Kindergarten teacher staged this next photo.  She probably knows it's the only time this year that all the kids will behave and stay still for a group photo, thanks to nerves.  Lia is up top in the back.  I think I have a picture somewhere just like this of me at this age at St. Patrick's. . . .

Today was a reverse half day for the other grades.  So at 10:45 I dropped Ben off.  Ben was surprisingly apprehensive today - he says because he doesn't know everyone in his class.  However when he got there he realized he knows 3/4 or more of the kids there and he was fine.  Here he is with his buddy Evan (Ella's big brother). 

Mrs. B, Ben's teacher, greeted every child as they walked in the door.  Ben hung up his backpack, sat right down in his desk and started coloring quietly (yeah, that part shocked me too!).  He was just fine when I kissed him goodbye. 



Both of my kids did great today!  This is going to be a great year - especially because with Ella and Lia together, and Ben and Evan together, my bestie Shawna and I get to share every field trip and class play together too!  Simple pleasures, I guess.

Can't wait to hear my kids' stories of their day late r over ice cream and chocolate cookies - a First Day Of School Celebration!

The Evening Before

Tomorrow is the first day of school!  Ben heads to 2nd grade and Lia begins Kindergarten.  I can't believe I will have two kids in school.  Where does the time go?

The kids are tucked in for a good night's sleep.  Everything is ready:  new clothes, new shoes, new lunchboxes and new backpacks full of new pencil boxes with all the supplies.  

I am so excited for the adventures this year will bring.  Homework for two!  Balancing field trips and class plays.  Miss Lia is more than ready for Kinder, and super excited that she gets to be in the same class with her best friend, Ella.  Ben is a little apprehensive of starting in a new classroom again (he likes routine), but totally excited to see his friends. 

I don't know if it's getting older or if it's more than a year on Feingold and seeing the progress we've made - but I don't feel nearly as nervous starting Ben this year as I did last year.  Of course all that could change in a day, so we'll take it one at a time. 

For now, off to a good night's sleep for me, too.  After all - tomorrow's the first day of school! 

When You Realize It's Working

The most important thing for me as a parent has been to teach my kids to talk to me.  I don't mean the one word answers, or that answer we all know and love - "NOTHING".  Over the years I have trained them that those one word answers don't give me the information that I am looking for, and I will keep gently asking questions until I get details.

I don't do this to be nosy.  I do this to get them in the habit of talking to me.  About their day, what they had for lunch, what did they play today, who did they play with?  It's always a very casual conversation and I usually don't even have to prod them to talk, I just ask questions and listen to their answers.  Sometime we talk about different stuff like what do you want to be when you grow up, who is your best friend, what are you most excited about? 

I figure it's easier to get in that habit now, while they're young, then to try and introduce it at 15 when they want nothing to do with me!

Yesterday we had a very busy evening.  I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from work, got home, unloaded groceries, started making dinner, had my sister, brother and his girlfriend over for dinner, and cleaned up the kitchen.    Not much time with my kids.

As I tucked Ben into bed and started to leave the room, he yelled out "MOM!  We didn't even talk about my day yet or what I had for lunch!"  It meant so much to me that this had become part of his routine and when it didn't happen, he actually missed it! 

I went right back and sat on his bed and we talked about his day. 

I know that Ben won't want to tell me everything about his day when he's older.  And there is probably a whole lot I won't even WANT to know about.  But just knowing that he already likes filling me in on these things makes me think maybe we are doing some things right. 

Back To School Treats

One of the hardest parts about being Feingold is knowing that kids bring treats into the classroom ALL THE TIME - for birthdays, holidays, spring parties, 100th day of school parties, etc.  Heck, even the teachers seem to hand out treats for good behavior or answering a question correctly. 

I absolutely hate the thought of Ben sitting there with no treat on his desk, watching the other kids enjoy cupcakes.  So last year I gave Ben's teacher, Mr. H, a huge supply of non-perishable treats that Ben could choose from when the kids were eating the other stuff. 

But this year, Indie Candy (the website where I buy our approved gummy candy) sells Back To School Buckets, personalized for the kids.  I was able to tell them that Ben is Feingold Stage 1, and his bucket came with all things he could have. 

Then it dawned on me that I have to make a decision about Lia now that she is starting Kindergarten.  Clearly her behavior is not food dependent like Ben's, so in theory she could eat the stuff that other kids bring in.  But do I want her to, knowing what I now know about artificial ingredients?  And do I want her coming home talking about the cupcakes she had or the candy?  So I ordered Lia a Back To School Bucket too. 

And both kids were so excited when I showed them!  Whew, one less thing to worry about with the upcoming school year. 

Something You Never Thought I'd Say

Kudos to Governor Jerry Brown! 

Seriously, I just wrote that.  And I meant it.  Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 168, which tried to ban per-signature pay for ballot measure petition circulators.  You can read about it here from the Mercury News. 

I did not know much about ballot initiatives before getting involved with Fair And Open Competition Sacramento.  But here's how it works.  You need to get a certain percentage of registered voters in the given area to sign a ballot initiative.  Once the signatures are all verified and meet the quantity required, the initiative goes on the ballot to take the issue to the voters. Voters still have the choice to approve or reject it.  Achieving the signatures just means it goes to a vote, not that it becomes law.  People make a living collecting signatures for these measures, regardless of whether an initiative is sponsored by corporations like Amazon or industry groups like ours, or by the unions.  The signature collectors are trained on the topic, and station themselves at grocery stores, Home Depot, or go door to door getting paid to collect the signatures.  This is what SB168 tried to ban - meaning you would have to get volunteers to do this process day in and day out - effectively making it very difficult to ever get an initiative on the ballot. 

The other way to create a new law is for our legislature to submit it, both houses approve it, and the governor signs it.  The more and more I have gotten involved with politics I have sadly learned that THIS process is NOT about the people.  This process is about special interests - whether Republican or Democrat.  People with money pay their lobbyists to spend all day at the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to submit bills that favor them.  The media likes to state that these lobbyists are all paid for by, what's the term, oh yeah "corporate jet owners and big oil".  That never ceases to crack me up. 

Actually, it's industry groups that pay lobbyists.  Contractors, unions, pharmacy groups, teachers, airline pilots, farmers, whatever.  If you have a big enough group and collect enough money, you have a lobbyist.  Many of these groups also always back political candidates during their campaign.  So guess whose lobbyists get the attention?  That's right, whichever groups helped get lawmakers elected.  It's a sad, sad process. But hey, that's democracy, right?!?

So, the only way that actual voters can get something passed into law is the ballot initiative process.  Lawmakers HATE this process because it takes the control out of their hands, and voters truly don't always understand implications that can happen from passing a ballot initiative.  But still, it's our only voice other than our ability to vote for a politician. 

I believe Senate Bill 168 is a direct attack against the current initiatives that are circulating, including ours for Fair And Open Competition Sacramento.  It was widely backed by the unions.  And even though the unions were the major funding source for Jerry Brown's campaign, he told them no by vetoing this bill.  (He also told them no by vetoing the agriculture card check bill.)  RIGHT ON JERRY!!

There are several other tactics the opponents of these ballot measures are using to scare voters away.  The Building Trades Unions association helped sponsor a radio ad that tells people they shouldn't sign initiatives because of identity theft (see here and here).  The SEIU has circulated a flyer telling people not only to not sign them but to call in the location of the ballot circulators and record their gender and what they look like.  The unions have also sent out people to the sites where our signature gatherers are stationed, where they physically try to block and intimidate people from signing our petitions. 

In a future post I will share with you what the opponents of our initiative are saying as to why they think it's a bad idea, and our responses as to why they are wrong.  But I won't fill your head with too much right now, lest I bore you. . . .

Veggie Storage

Has anyone ever rented a storage facility just for vegetables out of their garden?  Because I swear we almost need one. . .

Fashion Icon

I went shopping today for a dress to wear to an event we have on Friday.  (Thank you to Erika for all her help at Nordstrom today!)  I brought home my outfit and decided to show my four year old fashion critic.  I draped the long black dress over my shoulders, put my new necklace and bracelets on and said, "So, Li, what do you think?"

She scrutinized me for a minute.  Looked up at me and said, "Mom, take out your ponytail, maybe that will make it better."

Sheesh.  Four years old and she's already down on my clothing choices.  Can't wait to see what she thinks when she's fourteen and won't be caught dead in the mall with me. 

Here is the fashion icon modeling my new necklace and bracelets.  Where in the world did she learn to pose that way?!?

Trade It Tuesday

Ben's favorite food in the entire world has always been fruit snacks.  Before Feingold we always bought the Welch's 100% Juice Fruit Snacks.  Sounds healthy, right?  And even on their website they tout "No Preservatives" and "100% Daily Value Vitamin C" plus they are "Fat Free and Gluten Free".  Whoop-ti-do.  They also contain corn syrup, "natural and artificial flavors", Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1. 

Fruit snacks have been very difficult for Ben to do without.  Our first year on Feingold this was probably the thing that caused him to go off diet the most (like that horrible Valentine's Day experience).  Our problem is that most fruit snacks, while all natural, contain only stage two fruits (Ben can only have them occasionally) or annatto (Ben can't tolerate this at all).  Slowly over time we are finding acceptable products and we just limit how much Ben has them. 

Here are some of our favorites:

Stretch Island Fruit Co. - Fruit Leather

This product comes in more than a few flavors:  Mango Sunrise, Grape, Cherry, Orchard Cherry, Strawberry, Apricot, Apple and more.  The kids LOVE these! 

This company also makes a natural version of a fruit by the foot, although we haven't tried these yet.  I find the fruit leathers at Henry's (now Sprout's), Whole Foods and I've even seen them at Bel Air.

Then there is the Annie's line of Fruit Snacks, in Tropical Treat, Berry Patch or Summer Strawberry.  Ben totally loves these, but unfortunately these flavors are either berry (which we're finding he can't tolerate at all) or they have annatto (the natural coloring for "yellow").  If your kiddos aren't as sensitive as mine, I totally recommend this brand as they are very easy to find (Costco, Toys R Us, and any grocery store) and tend to be less expensive then the other all natural options either. 

Another option is the Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit Ropes.  These boast organic and all natural flavors.  We have not tried them yet (again with the berry thing), but I've heard that kids really like them. 










I tried making my own gummies once and that didn't work out too well.  Now I buy most of our fruit snacks online at http://www.indiecandy.com/ because they actually sell candy that is Feingold Stage 1, as well as many other all natural candy options.  The gummies are great and Ben and Lia are both always super excited to have them as a special treat.  I order all my candy for holidays from this site.  Not only do they offer great products, but they are super helpful in customizing orders for special diet considerations.  I highly recommend their site. 

Please just promise me you will never allow your child to eat another artificially colored or flavored fruit snack product.  Anything with "Fruit" in the title should be a healthy snack, but that is far from reality!  Check out the ingredients in that entire aisle of regular fruit snacks next time you are in the grocery store - then go find the natural foods aisle and pick up one of the products above.  Your kids will be much healthier for it! 

Do you have a type of food you would like to see discussed in Trade It Tuesday?  Let me know and I'll be happy to do the research for you! 

Like DeJaVu All Over Again

For my 25th birthday (many moons ago) my friends and I decided to have a party at my family's house in Sutter Creek.  We drank wine all day, made bacon pasta for dinner, then walked down to The Palace and showed the locals what we could do with a karaoke machine.  Many, many memories from that night. 

For my sister's 25th birthday, we did the exact same thing this past Saturday night - minus the karaoke.  But we spent all day drinking wine, made bacon pasta for dinner, and played Catch Phrase into the wee hours of the morning, making new memories. 

Here are some pictures from our adventure.

And just for fun, here is a picture of Darrin and I on my 25th birthday in Sutter Creek.  Hard to believe that was almost ten years ago. 

Accessorizing

Concrete is in, pool is done.  Patio furniture was taken out of the barn after three years away from the sunlight.  New rugs purchased and placed under the furniture.  Today's chore:  pots and plants. 

Darrin and I went to Silverado and they had a great selection of beautiful and fairly well priced pots.  Then we met Scott, who helped us pick plants for our new pots.  He did a great job and Darrin and I are very happy with the results!  Darrin even planted grape vines at the base of each trellis so we can start training them to cover and give us shade (a little trick we saw at the Plymouth vineyards this weekend). 

Of course we realize what my Dad has always said is true - when you live out in the country, what seems like a lot of plants purchased (and money spent!) at the nursery, looks like small beans when you get it home and realize how many more you need to buy to fill the space. 

Oh well, a little bit at a time.  But everything so far is coming together quite nicely! 

Monster Zucchini

Darrin and I thought we'd let one keep growing just to see how big it would get.  Except tonight Ben picked it before we could stop him.  Pretty sure if it had another week on the vine we could have carved the center out and made it into a tunnel. 



Not A Baby Anymore

Of course while I was out of town for work, Lia lost her first tooth.  She's only four!!!  Luckily, the tooth fairy still came, and I can't wait to get home and hear about how that went - because Lia is not nearly as sound a sleeper as her older brother.

Here is the text picture I received of my grown-up girl.

 

Little Brothers

Darrin and I both have little brothers.  Mine happened to be over at our house the other day.  So Darrin knew right away who was to blame when he opened his closet door at 10pm, tuned on the light, and saw Lia's My Size Barbie hanging there like a corpse.  Creepy. 

Trade It Tuesday

Today's topic:  Milk

One would think that any milk would be a wholesome, nutritious food.  Ha, think again.  Many milks are fortified with vitamins, and the Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A Palmitate can often contain preservatives - namely BHT.  If you don't remember what BHT is made from, let me refresh your memory: 

BHT is a lipophilic organic compound (huh?!?) that is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as an additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil and embalming fluid.  It  is prepared by the reaction of p-cresol (a major componant in pig odor) with isobutylene (a colorless flamable gas) catalysed by sulfuric acid.

How can you be sure the milk you are buying does not contain preserved Vitamin D?  You can't tell from the label.  I use my 2011 Feingold Food List, because the non-profit Feingold Association of America researches the milks to make sure they are all natural.  Here are some of the local brands you can trust:

365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods Brand)

Alta Dena

Bayview Farms (Bel Air & Raley's)

Clover Stornetta

Dairy Glen (Safeway)
Horizon Organic
Organic Valley (now at Costco!)
Straus Family Creamery
Sunnyside Farms
Sweet Clover

(There are a few more approved brands, too, so feel free to email me if you want to know about other brands you may be using.)

And what is the deal with organic milk?  What exactly is the difference that causes such a difference in price? 

1. Shelf Life - Organic milk has to be pasteurized at a much higher temperature (280 degrees) than regular milk (140 degrees) so it can last up to two months in the fridge. 

2. No Hormones - the USDA certifies that organic milk comes from cows are not given the synthetic hormone known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH, also known as BGH, recombinant bovine somatotropin or rBST). Farmers often give rBGH to dairy cows to make them more productive.   However this also causes mastitis in the cows, leading to (brace yourself) PUSS that gets in the milk.  rBGH has also been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer in humans. The additive has been banned in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the entire European Union.

3. No Antibiotics - farmers often give the cows antibiotics to prevent infection and mastitis, but the antibiotics show up in the cow's milk.  Many people think this may be part of the reason that our generation is developing immunity to antibiotics.  In a certified organic dairy, if a cow is given antibiotics it must be taken out of the milking rotation for a year. 

4. No pesticides - to be certified as organic, milk can only come from cows who have been fed certified organic feed. 

5. Free Range - cows producing organic milk have to spend most of each year grazing out in open pastures.  I'm not sure what health benefit this has, but I'm sure the cows are happier and therefore produce better milk. Ha! 

If you want to know a lot more about this subject, just Google "Organic Milk vs Regular Milk" and there is a wealth of information for you to make your own decision.  

In our house, we drink Horizon Organic and Organic Valley.  We used to drink Bayview Farms, but one day I decided to try organic, and my family LOVED the milk.  The kids would literally get excited when I would take the blue Organic Valley carton out of the refrigerator.  Lia would say "Oh Yeah!  That is the milk that I LOVE!"  Hard to stop buying it when you get that reaction.  My extended family had it at our house and also started buying it on a regular basis, just because it tastes so much better.  

 

I also like the philosophy of the Organic Valley brand.  They are actually a coop of farmers that brand under one name.  Check out this link for more information.  And, they utilize local dairies, meaning less transportation getting the milk to market.  In fact, on the Organic Valley website you can punch in your zipcode and find out which dairy supplies the milk you buy.  Maybe I'll go by and visit those happy cows. . . . 

I also love the portable Horizon milks to throw in the kids lunches or to take with us when we go out to dinner.  The kids love the vanilla flavor, so I keep that and regular 2% on hand at all times.  I find the big boxes of it (18 drink boxes) at Toys R Us of all places, which is much cheaper than buying it in the three packs that most grocery stores carry.  Whole Foods also has the bulk box, but it's a little more expensive.   Or, you can order it on Amazon if you click on this link.  I don't know how it's possible, but the portable milks don't even need refrigeration.  Weird!


In my opinion, you really get what you pay for with milk.  Yes, organic is definitely more expensive - and anyone with little kids can go through the milk quickly (except my friend Sarah, her family buys pint size milk - of course they have an unusually small refrigerator, too).  But considering how much milk your kids drink, don't you want to know it's clean milk?