Pumpkin carving!

Carving a pumpkin means eating toasted pumpkin seeds!

Vote!

I did today.

Breakfast!

Scrambled eggs with spinach and smothered in cheese!  Sauteed potatoes and onion.  If you do not have much time, microwave the potatoes until almost soft, then saute until brown/crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Eva hangs out with me while I cook.  She loves to jump in her Baby Einstein jumper.  

Sweets

Vaccines! Ugghhhh!!!

I am very bothered by the American vaccine schedule and the possible correlation between vaccines and autism, ADD, etc.  When I was a kid, we got maybe 6 shots by the age of 2.  Now, kids are getting 32 shots by the age of 1!  Not to mention, there have been no studies done on the effects of giving so many shots in such a concentrated time.  Why haven't we demanded more for our children?  I don't want to blindly give all these shots to Eva.  So, I have saturated my life with vaccine research since before she was born.  I'm going crazy with all the information, and lack thereof.  Something in my gut tells me the vaccines are wrong.  I nurse, I try to eat all organic, non-processed foods.  I don't smoke, I use cloth diapers.  I recycle.  I guess what I am trying to say is this, if we try so hard to make sure our children eat healthy and live in a healthy environment, why do we say okay to shooting them up with formaldehyde and other chemicals?  (yes, there is formaldehyde in most, maybe all, vaccines.  For more information, read Dr. Sears', The Vaccine Book) 

Tomorrow is Eva's 4 month well baby exam.  She is suppose to get a ton more shots.  I am going to say no.  I am going to use Dr. Sears' alternate vaccine schedule, as well as, eliminate some I find completely unnecessary. Now, I can go to sleep. 

Matter of time...

If, like me, you can't wait to check Postsecret every Sunday for new postcards, then you have already stumbled across the one above.  The card gives me chills.  I'm not sure if the card's sentiment is a threat, or a fear.  I am greatly saddened by either option.  

Eva is trying out our new sheets.  I think her expression says, "they're for keeps!" 

Smokey Tomato and Chickpea stir with rice

Inexpensive, vegetarian and very tasty!  What more can we ask for?  Saute 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic.  Then, add one can chickpeas and one can diced tomatoes.  Stir, and add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and honey to taste.  Optional: black olives, or raisins, depending on your mood.  

I like to serve this with jasmine rice, or cous-cous.  

It's about $3 dollars and makes 4-5 servings.  Yum! 

This is my first attempt at blogging.  I have participated in social networking, and have read many blogs, but am just now trying it out for myself.  I use to journal.  However, I recently tore out all the incriminating pages and shredded them!  I'm laughing as I tell you this piece of information.  Keeping a diary makes me nervous.  After all, it is so permanent. Will my rambling, angst written words be how I am remembered?  Not unless someone decides to paste them back together!  

As I re-read them and shredded the memories, I remembered My So Called Life.  I was Angela Chase as I shredded the strangely odd details of my past. 

Now, I am a mom. I am a wife, and I am almost a librarian.  And, I am sometimes a photographer, with a degree to prove it.  As many women in the 21st century, I wear many hats.  I am an American mom. I suppose now, that someday, my children will remember a part of me by my rambling, silly blog, This American Mom.