Confessions of a 'naturalista'

Ok, so I'm all about cloth diapers (except when we travel- then we use g-diapers or disposables), I buy my beef from a local farm (we buy 1/4 to 1/2 cow at a time! But we still get cheese steaks from our local corner deli) We drink raw milk (sometimes- it's expensive) and I make my own baby food (except when someone gives me their leftover 50 jars of Gerber!) I use vinegar to clean my fridge and baking soda on  the drain (but Windex for the stainless appliances.) We drive a fuel efficient car (but I forget to turn the lights off all the time - much to Jake's dismay.)

You don't have to look very hard into my life to find inconsistencies all over the place. I'll admit it, I am neither perfect nor a purist about much. What works one day may not work another. Sometimes, what's on sale rules, other times, we sacrifice to make the wiser purchase. This 'flip-flopping' shows up in other areas of life too, not just what we buy or what we eat, but how we spend our time and how we run our home as well. In this highly politicized world where 'flip-floppers' are doomed to public ridicule, it feels Moms have to bend in all sorts of directions!good to confess! Granted, some of these flip flops are things I want to work on, places where I want to see growth and change in my life... others, are just a result of living a life so full that somethings spill over the edges and somethings can't always be the same.  Actually I prefer to think of myself as flexible (sounds more flattering doesn't it?) Life is dynamic and sometimes requires the flexibility of a Cirque du Soleil contortionist. We try to find what works, make the best choices that we can, and use what we have to the best of our ability. So, I'm ok with our inconsistencies... to me they just mean that 'my plan' doesn't rule my life.  Besides, the weather's getting really nice... definitely flip flop season!

Where do you flex, or flip flop?

About Us: The kind of kids you can't take to...

Fancy restaurants, the last minute workplace meeting scheduled on your "supposed" day off, uptight relatives' homes, etc.

Actually, I have brought my kids to 'those types of places' and endured the looks, sighs and 'polite' suggestions.

Loud, inquisitive, rambunctious, energetic, argumentative, strong-willed. Yes, I have those types of kids. And most days, I'm pretty glad about (albeit wiped out by) this reality.

3 feet in the air- as usualMy son, 5, (we'll call him 'Mowgli', since he has gorgeous shiny dark hair, and sometimes people think he was raised by wolves) struggles to not ask you about that weird mole on your face, jumps from the top step in our 10ft celing Colonial Revival, and uses words like Sarcophagus over dinner. Yes, I linked it; no need to be shown up by a 5 year old.  

 My daughter (we'll call her 'Pocahontas' since she's a free spirit), is decidedly a complete and utter people person; she wants no part of alone time or being put down for a nap (we do it anyway!). She never took a pacifier, blankie or any other type of outside comforter. She wants only to be with someone, in their arms, playing chase and jumping together. She will scream to high heaven if she isn't kindly invited to join you when you use the toilet.

So yes- I have those kind of kids, and probably, so do many of you. Good news! Those kind of kids, grow into those kind of adults- brilliant, daring, courageous, ambitious, caring and bold. But it takes lots of patience to see them as more than 'a handfull' sometimes. I have made it a goal to encourage moms and look for encouragement wherever it may be. So, in the grocery store, when a mom is struggling to parent well the child who is throwing a tantrum, I look at her. I'm sure you've been looked at before in the grocery store when your child is throwing a tantrum. You get the kind of looks meant to embarrass you. The kind of looks that make you want to give in to the tantrum just to make the scene stop. No, that's not the kind of look I give- I give the 'yep, mine did that yesterday' look; the 'hold firm mommy!' look.  I love when other moms look at me that way too!

What kind of kid do you have? How do  you struggle to parent well? How do other moms make it harder or easier for you? Let us know!

About Us: Our Home

Wow! It feels like there is so much that I can say about our home. First, let's just get a few things out of the way: Yes, our house was a funeral home; No, we don't hear ghost noises; Yes, it is sort of a mini-mansion (10 bedrooms, 2 living rooms- you get the idea); Yes we are fully aware that our house would at least triple in value if we moved it, oh about 2.5 miles North, or 5 miles South; Yes, we do like it just where it is.

So, with that out of the way, here are the quick WHYs, HOWs and WHOs of it all.

I (Jess) live in this crazy stone Colonial Revival with my husband (Jake) our two children, Mowgli and Pocahontas (more on these aliases later) my parents, two friends and a dog. We made this leap 4 years ago when we realized that we have a deep and compelling need for community that just was not being met by our living situation. We were living in East Germantown then (we are currently in West Our house in the blizzard of 2010Germantown) and my parents were living in the Northeast section of the city. I had a 1 1/2 year old Mowgli in tow and would travel (almost daily) back and forth to their house to get some much needed grown-up time and to let them see their grandson. We were a 7-10 minute drive from our church (which to most people sounds close, but in our church, most members live within walking distance, making for easier relationship building.) One night, the idea came to me that we ought to sell our respective houses and buy a house to live in together with my folks. 6 months later, it was done. We bought this quirky and beautiful stone home right smack on Wayne Avenue- one of the busiest thoroughfares in the neighborhood.

4 years later we are enjoying (and sometimes complaining about) multi-generational family life. We quickly welcomed 2 more people into our home- our dear friends Ana and Heather who complete our ragamuffin group. We are walking distance from our church (though we drive anyway since we have our instruments to schlep!) and we love the community on our block. Our house is not quiet inside our out (Wayne Ave can be loud and so can my kids) it is not always tidy inside or out (Wayne Ave is a trash collector and our big house is a lot of work to clean!). It is not perfect or pristine, or pompous. It's just big, and full- of life, laughter, good smells (and sometimes bad ones, ahem, diaper day!) and great people!

Tell us what makes your home special- where do you find community?