Decision made

I met yesterday with a professor from the U of M whose in charge of the Masters program I've been thinking about pursuing. That meeting cemented it. I'm going to apply for my M.Sc. to start September 2007 (part-time). I feel exhilerated and fearful at the same time. I have my work cut out for me - the prof definitely pointed to the direction of starting to meet and talk to other profs in the department before I submit my application and preferrably have a possible thesis idea worked out with someone who can write one of my letters of recommendation. He said out of about 65 applications a year, 15 get chosen. However, my friend who has already been through it and has sat on the selection committee, said that a lot of the ones that aren't chosen are very obvious nos - e.g. not being able to understand the application because of language difficulties or just not filling it out correctly, leaving lots of blanks. She thinks I have a very good chance of getting in.

The one thing that could destroy it for me - all my previous post-secondary has been at faith-based schools. This has been known to be a problem for others getting into U of M. Prayers appreciated.

Today was...

30 minutes of Pilates
1 set of sore abs
2 sore legs
3 wet beds
a 2 hour long phone meeting
3 loads of laundry to put away
1 kid who had an "accident" at school
Same 1 kid with a probably bladder infection
1.5 hours at the doctors' office because same kid took forever to be able to give a sample
1 music lesson which same kid seems incapable of following, making me really doubt our choice to go with Music for Young Children
12 or more lice
2.5 hours of dealing with lice
1 very sore back and neck from leaning over with nit comb
1 not so "accident" from different kid

Despite all this, I'm actually in an okay mood. What's wrong with me?

What are we, anyway?

Robbie and I discussed if we are still charismatic today - theologically, that is. We KNOW our personalities are. I said yes because we still believe in the charismata - the gifts of the spirit - and that they are for today. He said no because we just can't buy the peripherals that seem to follow. I think we agree that the post-charismatic term does apply to us.

Nutrition thoughts

I started reading The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood today (available through the library). The author, William Sears, a pediatrician, wrote about how he noticed significant health and behaviour differences between children whose parents were health-conscious and those who are not. He also spends quite a bit of time on how tastes can adapt, so children can learn to like healthy food and even avoid what is unhealthy.

I've seen that happen a lot in our household. At my inlaws a couple of weeks ago I was making sandwiches for the kids and myself. They had Skippy peanut butter. At our house we only have all-natural peanut butter. When we first made the switch to natural, I didn't like it as much because I didn't find it as creamy. But when I tried the Skippy, I couldn't use it. It tasted like shortening with peanuts mixed in. Which is exactly what it is. I love natural pb now, it has such a rich flavour that is missing in processed stuff. I also couldn't eat the 60% whole wheat. Yes, nutritionally it's still better than white, but it still tastes like I'm eating a household sponge.

Rob has come the furthest though. White flour almost everything to whole wheat almost everything - even pizza crust, biscuits, pancakes, places I even used to reach for all-purpose. We got used to it. Now we like it. He used to make fun of skim milk (coloured water, I believe he called it) and now he finds 2% way too creamy. He even eats fruit.

I wish, for other children's sake, that parents could see that change is vital and possible. There's a girl in Taryn's class who is obviously obese, and her Mom has told me she can't figure out why. In the next sentence, though, she'll tell me about the new Nintendo set she bought her daughter. And Taryn has told me that the girl often gets McDonald's lunches dropped off at school. (This Mother also lets her play Grand Theft Auto, and described how the girl was shooting people in a beach scene. But she "knows it's a game" so everything's all right.)

I wonder how fast Ritalyn prescriptions would drop for many families if they simply cut out garbage food?

And it doesn't help that so much of the nutritional information we receive is tainted by the interests of industry, rather than actual research being put into practice. The "Got Milk" campaign is not put out by nutritionists, but by people who want to make more money selling milk. Even doctors and nutritionists are regularly touting the benefits. In reality, there is very little evidence that milk consumption is related to bone density. Countries with the highest dairy intakes per capita also tend to have higher hip fractures per capital. We've been fed a lie. Oh, and PETA is right - milk drinkers do tend to have more acne. This comes out of no ideological drive - I'm not a rabid vegan. But there is no evidence that we must consume the servings recommended to us to maintain health. In fact, dairy consumption is linked to certain health problems. Yes, we need calcium, but it doens't have to come from milk, and we may not need as much as is proclaimed (especially if we eat less meat).

I've started drinking almond milk. Still rich in calcium, lower in calories, and I'm surprised how much I like the taste. Plus, it's probably cheaper in the long run (if homemade) - we're going to do a cost analysis soon. I still love cheese and won't rid myself of dairy, but the research is clear enough to indicate we don't need it to be healthy.

God and me - the ongoing saga

I'm feeling euaaheehg. I'm lying in bed. I will do some work today. From bed. I think I will be sick this week. I'm just not quite there yet.

I've had some interesting (to me) thoughts on faith matters lately. Might quell any fears of those who thought I was going agnostic (or dash the hopes of, depending on perspective).

First of all, I was talking to a friend who talked about his very strong belief in Jesus and Christianity. His certainty stems from his interest in philosophy. To him, it is the only thing that makes sense. He sounds very much like what Cindy has been writing about her readings of Schaeffer. This is all meaningless to me. I hate philosophy. I love research, using scientific methods to discern what is plausible, likely and true. I imagine it is easier to figure out God stuff through philosophy than research. After all, I can't see, hear, touch, taste or smell God.

However I can see, hear, touch, taste and smell God's influence. I started thinking about really examining God in that sense - qualitative research. Acting as a field observer, deliberately watching and recording. Starting with prayer. I pray for things. Do I see these things happening? And how likely are they to come about without divine intervention?

Another friend challenged how I was thinking about terrible things that have happened to other people and using those things to question God. It's up to the people who experience those things to figure out how they mesh with what they believe (or know) of God, not me. And I think she's right. I've been resisting letting other people's positive experiences of God (or what they believe to be God) dictate my thinking, but I've allowed other's negative experiences to have too much of a controlling influence. Hypocritical of me.

Then there's the matter of trust. I believe in God, I haven't been sure if I can trust him. But how can I not trust God. He created everything. He holds life itself. Everything I was, am and will be rests in who he is. How can I not trust someone with total control, as if not trusting could change anything? Not trusting can only hurt me, it can't help me.

Erikson wrote about the first stage of life being one to develop trust, and one of the basic things an infant needs is to know what is going to happen. I cry, Mommy and Daddy repsond. I smile, they smile. God has created a predictability to our lives, the days, the seasons. Yes, there is crisis and chaos, but that is not the basic rhythm of life, but it's exception. That overall sense of being able to know what will go on is present, and to me, that speaks of trustworthiness.

Daughter differences

Taryn's teacher upon meeting her: "She's really quiet, isn't she?"

Ashlin's nursery school teacher after the first day: "She's very well-spoken."

These of course, are instead of:
"Has this kid been severely traumatized and will she ever respond to me with more than a nod?" and "She never shut her pie-hole the entire 2 and a half hours."

Book questionaire

Got tagged by Erica, darn her to heck.
I noticed that a lot of books I know fit into more than one category so I'm challenging myself to put a different book in each one.

A book that changed my life:
Hold on to Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld. Once I understood the power of attachment, I realized it applied to every relationship in life. The potential for attachment to change dynamics is incredible

A book I read more than once:
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass by Adrian Plass.

A book I would want on a desert island:
The Lord of the Rings (it was meant to be one book, the publishers forced it into 3). Obviously on a dessert island I need something long.

A book that made me laugh:
Dave Barry is Not Making This Up by Dave Barry.

A book that made my cry:
Nothing comes to mind.

A book I wish had been written:
A book on vaccinations that draws upon credible research and is not patronizing (along the lines of what Henci Goer did for knowledge around pregnancy and childbirth).

A book I wish had never been written:
Morgentaler's biography

A book I am currently reading:
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

A book I've been meaning to read:
Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy

Useful tips

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto! The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:
You only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

9. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

10. Some people are like Slinkies .... they're not really good for anything, but ... they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

(sent to me by a fellow contract worker - lest you think I'm clever or crazed enough to write these)

Today I did a sudoku in PEN.

Don't tell ME I don't live on the edge.

The city I belong in

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

Interestingly enough, when I went to Europe with OM for 6 weeks the Netherlands is the country I chose and was sent to and Amsterdam is where I spent half my time. I love it there.