We were out of the house by a quarter to noon and headed for the bus stop. It’s just up the street and around the corner, a 3 minute walk. All of us were there; me, Jaden, Nathanael and Annie and we waited for the bus on the side of the road. It’s the one time when my children actually sit and wait. They love watching the road to see when the bus will come around the corner to pick us up. And I love sitting with my kids for the ride and maybe even eating some snacks along the way.

To take three kids ages 5, 3, and 18 months out on an adventure using public transportation can be quite different than a trip in the car. There isn’t all that extra storage space to bring and store snacks, cups, and diapers. I’m generally a minimalist anyway but I did find a new trick with water for the kids. I use a timbuk2 bag as my ‘diaper’ bag or even more fitting ‘family bag.’ Toting 3 klean kanteens plus a water bottle for me can take up a lot of space and it’s quite heavy and sort of sloshy to carry so recently I started carrying two larger reusable water bottles and 3 small plastic cups. this actually frees up a lot of space, getting the water into a more compact space. Our snacks were the usual for this time of year, mandarins, nuts, berries, seeds and jerky; all in one container and we share. I took three diapers with me but only ended up using one. You know if I had only taken one I would have needed more.

Once we got to the main station we had to switch buses then we did some walking and thrift store shopping. Annie was in the ergo and pulling on everything in reach including my hair….we had to get out of there.  I returned an item that I had been meaning to take back for awhile (some Aveda exfoliant that made my face breakout) then we went to a local toy store where we could get a dragon that Nathanael had been asking for but he ended up choosing a cowboy on a horse instead (you know, those cool Schleich figurines). Jaden acquired a playmobil mermaid set. My children don’t have many toys and rarely get a new toy when it isn’t their birthday or Christmas and even then we are conservative so this was quite the treat. Lunch at the local Noli Cafe by choice of Jaden where we played the spelling game (Jaden asks me how to spell a word and I spell it…now Nathanael is into asking too). Annie slept on my back while I ate my lunch and finally woke up just in time to eat her own lunch before we headed out for a long stroll back to the main station to return home.

Nathanael dozed off before we got on the bus home and I had to take him out of the stroller and fold the stroller up as well, safety regulations. He actually stayed asleep sitting up for a bit but eventually woke up. Annie wanted to be a big girl and sit in her own seat on the way home. Jaden loves to look out the window and name all the places she recognizes. Using the bus sort makes for a long day, we were gone for 3.5 hours but with proper planning it gives a nice slot of time of outdoor activity that kids love without having to spend a lot. The next time we go we won’t even be stopping at any stores…I’m thinking about just picking a random bus and getting on it at the station. They all come back to the same place and I’ve never seen my kids be happier sitting down yet there is so much to take in with all the people who come through and things to see out the window.

The children and I both agree that we really want to ride the big, long green bus that has one of those slinky connectors in the middle. I think we may just take that bus out of the station next time as we prepare for our trip to Portland using the Amtrak and public transportation as our only method of travel.

In December of 2008 I started doing Crossfit workouts and was encouraged to eat Paleothic style foods….Meats, vegetables, nuts, berries, some fruit, no sugar. At this point in my life I was certainly a carb-o-holic. I ate cereal in the morning, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner or at least some bread with dinner. The majority of  foods I ate were healthy and no different from what I eat today so I was already on the right track, but I had way too many flours and grains in my diet. In April 2009 I started eating Paleo style and maintained that eating habit for about 4 months and lost a significant amount of weight. Soon after, I introduced grains back into my diet but only once a day (usually a small bit of pasta or rice at dinner) and sometimes I didn’t even eat any during a days time. As the holidays came I ate more sugars and as the holidays passed I continued to crave breads and other foods that I really don’t desire to eat because I know they are not the foods that are packed with nutrition.

In February 2010 my friend Robin started her Paleo Challenge and has seen noticeable results in regards to her body weight and body fat percentage. I wasn’t looking to lose any weight but I did want to lose the ball and chain that cravings are so I jumped back on the wagon with Robin and took the Paleo Challenge.

I will post some of the recipes and meal ideas that we come up with and will keep you all posted on when I stop or if I keep going. Chances are as we enter the summer I will continue to eat Paleo since we will have a lot of our own veggies from the garden which helps cut down on the grocery bill.

My meager attempt at sustaining a blog is bothering me and so I intend to put forth a valid effort in practicing my writing skills here. My children are transitioning to new stages and phases and so am I.  Sharing our fun adventures and attempts at being sustainable is important to us so I am going to commit to updating this blog more frequently so that maybe our readers will be able to refine their own ideas and reap grand rewards.

Al Gore has been caught again for being an energy guzzler. According to an article found in NewsMax “Gore’s Home Still Guzzling Energy“, Al Gore’s home uses more energy in one month than the average American home uses in one year.

… Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Remember when about a year Gore was running his mouth about how we need to act now and save the planet? Kind of ironic, huh?

The real sad part is that after he got caught the first time, he greened his house with new light bulbs, solar panels and more… only to end up using more energy resources after the “green overhaul”.

We’re so glad to see Mr. Gore pitching into the green effort… he’s definitely showing the American people and the rest of the world his true colors… and it isn’t red, white and blue… and it definitely ain’t green.

Ever since having my second baby 9 months ago I have wavered about the idea of having one more baby. Mostly because I just love sweet, little, tiny newborns and it is fun to watch them grow. I also want my children to have other siblings. There are pluses to having only two children because they often have a very strong bond because there isn’t another sibling to go to when one gets mad at the other so they must resolve disagreements quickly. But, as a woman, there is nothing like having a sister to call on when you need her. I really want my daughter to have a sister. But I have also had the feeling that I don’t want to go through the awake at night, crawling, falling over crying, putting everything out of reach stage again.

Read more…