Busy Busy Busy

What an August it has been -- full of new beginnings for all of us. As a few of my bloggy friends know, I've started teaching preschool and have a roomful of three-year-olds to call my own.

I have to admit, I love it so far. It feels like work I was meant to be doing.

As for my own three... back to school has been and always will be complicated. They're happy to see old friends, but not thrilled about homework. They're anxious about who will be in their class or what their teachers will be like. They're excited for new supplies and clothes and hope everyone notices how much taller they are now that a summer has gone by.

They haven't been disappointed.

Now, we're getting ready to enter into the busy season for after school activities. Soccer starts in a week or two. Dance class for my youngest will begin again. And my second grader will begin preparing for his First Communion.

These are busy times for our little clan. I hope the time doesn't slip by too quickly.

- Midwest Mom

Midwest Gardening: Spring Starter Chores

We had a wonderful Spring weekend here in the Midwest.

It was typical -- a little sun, some gentle rain, and by the end of the weekend, 50 mph winds with tornadoes and power outages.

Ahh, the Midwest! Isn't it grand?

This was the weekend when my garden clean-up chores began. It was muddy and wonderful to get out with my spade to start moving perennials. This was the weekend when garden plans started to become garden reality. But, there is a lot to do! It was hard not to feel daunted by the sheer volume of work.

After a long Winter, the sun and warm temperatures made the work worth it. (Maybe I'm part plant.)

My spring clean-up chores were few, but significant. I have decided to devote our entire side garden to vegetables this year. I will be setting aside some space on the south slope of our yard for vegetables as well. To make the most of both planting zones, I will build raised beds this week.

But first, I had to get started moving perennials. I started digging up Brown-eyed Susans and peppermint from the herb garden. I moved them back to the sunny edge of our wildflower garden. All it will take is a few plugs of each to make a beautiful border back there.



When moving vigorous perennials, try to cut them from their bed with a large spade. Lift the entire plant with at least 5 inches of accompanying soil. Keeping the roots intact will reduce stress on the plant and increase the chances of survival in its new location. Dig a deeper hole than you need, and backfill it loosely with soil. I usually put water into the hole before inserting the plug of rooted perennials into the moist soil. Try to keep the level of soil even with the earth around it and press firmly to ensure good contact between the roots and the soil. Water again thoroughly.

Another chore I started to tackle this weekend was moving the compost pile. We use a 2-bay compost system, where we fill one bay each year. In the Spring, I move material that is not completely broken down from the full bay to the empty bay. It is a long process. But my philosophy of Spring chores is Slow and Steady Wins the Race. If the Earth can take it's time getting ready for growing, so can I.

I will work on the compost over the course of the next month. I combine moving it over with other clean-up jobs, so that I am layering older material with newer. We mulch our beds with leaves in the Fall. When the time comes to remove that mulch (not yet) each bed will provide a nicely broken-down layer for the new compost bay. If you're moving the compost at your house, be sure to make the outside edge of each layer a little thicker than the middle. A compost pile that is lower in the center than the outside funnels rain into the pile and breaks down faster. If you build your pile like a haystack, the rain will sheet off and the center of the pile will remain dry.

With steady work over the next few weeks, the compost will be completely moved and the lowest layer of soil, rich in nutrients, will be ready to work into my vegetable garden. There is no better fertilizer than fresh compost. It is my garden's "secret ingredient".

The final "chore" of the weekend was to complete my seed purchase with Johnny's Selected Seeds. I cannot say how clearly superior I find the seeds from Johnny's as compared to hardware store packeted seed. Their varieties are specifically designed for disease-resistance and many are tailored for Northern growers. They also have a wide variety of organic seed. They have a place on their website for gardeners to make a 'garden wish-list'. I love that I can shop for seed, choose a few varieties, and save them until I'm ready to buy. This weekend, I finalized my list. As soon as my seeds arrive, I'll post directions for home seed-starting.

As expected, our lovely Midwest Spring weekend is transforming into a chilly week. Rain today and tomorrow will help those perennials I moved to take root. But our trusty weather channel tells me that night-time lows will be well below freezing after Wednesday, so the layer of protective mulch I have on the flower beds must stay in place for now -- even if the daffodils and day-lilies are poking through the leaves to find the sunlight.

I'd love to hear about your gardens. Are you going to try to plant more vegetables this year? What chores are your biggest challenges of the Spring?


- Midwest Mom

Obama Speaks to My Family

I watched the President's address to Congress last night with interest.

I am the mom of a Midwestern family filled with hard-working people. In our extended family are researchers, engineers, social workers, nurses, fire fighters, small business owners, moms, dads, students and teachers. We have a seriously ill relative who is underinsured. We have another relative who has retired on a state pension, drawn from a pension fund that is in serious trouble. Most of us have mortgages. Many of us are worried about our job security.

What part of last night's speech wouldn't apply to us?

I have written here before about my worry over the state of the economy, and specifically about responding to the economic crisis. I have been frustrated with the misuse of bank bailout funds and the national obsession with quick fixes. So, there was a lot to hold my attention last night.

I hoped to hear about banking and the auto industry in President Obama's speech. I am passionately committed to parental involvement in education, so my ears were open on that issue. I believe in taking personal responsibility for shaping one's future. I believe that hard work can do more for our country than legalistic maneuvering. ... I guess there was a lot I was listening for. I was not disappointed.

After hearing President Obama's speech last night, I will say -- he addressed a number of my concerns. And it was refreshing to be spoken to as citizens by someone who addresses his audience as adults. (And who uses vocabulary above the fourth grade level. I mean, he correctly used the word catalyzed in a sentence.)

Several parts of the President's speech were memorable and important. For example,

On education:

In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite. ...

That is why this budget creates new teachers -- new incentives for teacher performance, pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We'll invest -- we'll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps. And we will expand our commitment to
charter schools. ...

Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself; it's quitting on your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every American. ...

In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent, for a mother or father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child. I speak to you not just as a president, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. That's an American issue.

On the auto industry:

Speaking of our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not and will not protect them from their own bad practices.

But we are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it; scores of communities depend on it; and I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.

On banking:

I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. ...

And to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system. ...

It is time to put in place tough, new commonsense rules of the road so that our financial market rewards drive and innovation and punishes shortcuts and abuse. ...

I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can't pay its workers or the family that has saved and still can't get a mortgage.

President Obama stated that the issue of healthcare reform would not wait -- that he would be assembling a panel of legislators, doctors, businesses and workers to discuss their healthcare reform needs and ideas. It is welcome news; I am happy there will be no delay on such an important issue.

As the President finished speaking, I had a renewed sense of confidence in his leadership. It is my hope that the Congress will follow through on his exhortation to get down to business and to do the hard work necessary to move the country forward.

The rest of us are working hard. Now, so should they.

- Midwest Mom

The Ever-Growing American Workweek

Out of the kindness of his heart, Hubby is filling-in on third shift this week so that a colleague can receive training that's only offered during the day.

After a fantastically wonderful Valentine's weekend with the perfect balance of family time and alone time, it was tough to send him off to work last night at 10 p.m. Needless to say, I am a tired shell of my usual self -- on a day the children have off from school!

If I were a good mother, I would have "presidential" things planned. We would be coloring free activity pages about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. We would have left at dawn to reach the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield for a day of presidentially-focused fun. We would be feasting on cherries from morning till night.

We aren't.

We breakfasted in hushed tones and the children are playing in their basement playroom to keep from waking Daddy. In a half hour, we'll probably walk a mile or so to the local AMBUCS playground so that they can be loud and crazy. So they can be kids.

The one thing this turn at third shift is helping me to realize is that there are way too many people working in the middle of the night in this country.

I mean, really. Why? Are they doing something so very essential that no one could live without it being done in the middle of the night?!?? I think about the businesses here in town that are open all night (and the people working in them) and I cannot fathom why it is necessary.

The American workweek has been expanded beyond the point of reason. Not only do many wage earners work Saturdays and Sundays, others have to carry around the infernal Blackberry -- essentially tethering themselves to the MotherShip of Work even in their off-hours.

What would change if we were to reinstate some limits on the American Workweek?

- More Americans would get a good night's sleep. There would be less road rage as a result and probably less abuse of all kinds. There would be more smiling for no reason. Overall, a positive change.

- The only people not getting more sleep would be emergency workers, the people who make donuts, and one drug store in each town (parent's have to be able to pick up their late-night baby Tylenol ration somehow!) Another exception would be cat burglars and arsonists, but police- and firemen would remain on night duty, too (with plenty of donuts). So, problem solved.

- Families could get used to being around each other again. When I think about how many people in this country are doing what we're doing this week, kissing goodbye at 10pm, it makes me sad. How much stronger could marriages be if Moms and Dads actually slept the same hours? How much happier would kids be if everyone had the energy to play when they do?

- Think about the energy saved if businesses were not running their lights and machinery and heat and air conditioning all night long. Lots.

- There would be a dramatic increase in the quality of youth sports, because the majority of the population would have Saturday off. The exceptions to the Saturday off rule would have to be donut shops (again), restaurants, bowling alleys, grocery stores, museums, and roller rinks.

-We could reserve Sunday as a day for picnics and long walks. Only balloon stands, zoos, ice cream shops, parks, (and of course churches) need to remain open. If there's ice cream, we don't need donuts.

- Truckers who prefer to drive at night wouldn't have to worry about snoozing third-shifters making their way home. On the other hand, more people would be available to go to bars or stay late at Aunt Mildred's for the semi-annual Euchre tournament... So that one's a wash.

- An entire industry could be spawned making signs that say CLOSED. How's that for economic stimulus?


Of course, you know this list is tongue-in-cheek... sort of. Part of me does wonder how efficient we can possibly be as a country when we're working ourselves into the ground all day and all night.

Maybe I just think that the only 24-7 jobs should be the ones that people would do even without being paid -- just because they're called to do them.

Motherhood and Fatherhood qualify.

Keeping the McDonald's drive-thru open does not.

Fighting fires or manning the emergency room qualifies.

Wal-mart photo developing does not.

Now, you weigh in.

Think about it... what value do you put on work in your life? Is it appropriate?

What would you be willing to sacrifice in one area to gain in another?

Do you have a compelling reason why Larry's Kountry Bread Shoppe needs to be open 24 hours? (After all, they don't even make donuts...)

Are there other businesses that are essential to your late-night well-being?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

- Midwest Mom

Why do we Love Quick Fixes?

The American desire to make everything "Quick and Easy" has been getting under my skin lately. You would think when we're slapped in the face by reality, we would finally get it.

As a people, we are corner-cutters. On a less-charitable day, I might even call us lazy. The fact is that there are large numbers of people in the United States who want to be instantly rich, thin, successful, happy and find the love of their lives -- and put in zero work to do it. The realist in me finds it infuriating.

I'll give you a few recent examples:

• At Wal-Mart yesterday, I stood behind a woman whose cart was overflowing with Banquet Pot Pies, Stouffer's frozen French Bread Pizza, and Donuts. She picked up and purchased a woman's magazine whose lead story was "Get totally fit in 5 minutes!" ... How ironic.


• Driving through town two days ago, I saw a man throwing handful after handful of chemical ice-melt on a walkway. The walkway had about 3 inches of light, fresh snow. The man's shovel was leaning against the building behind him.


• Car dealerships and furniture stores in our area are still running radio ads offering Zero Percent financing for up to 24 months! on new purchases. Yes, even now. These morons haven't learned a thing.

Another example of our Quick Fix mentality is the Economic Stimulus Package. It astounds me that there are still people who think the remedy for a bad economy is tax cuts and more bank bailouts. Even more crazy is the expectation that, if we get the right mix of policy in this bill, no money will be wasted and recovery will be immediate.

What dreamland are people living in?

I know that in our house, we have spent a long time trying to put our financial ducks in a row. Even that multi-year effort does not guarantee us stability in this economy.

Parents know there are no shortcuts in raising our kids. What works is patient dedication and consistency. You can't teach a child to read without taking the time to read together. You can't raise a healthy child if you plop him in front of the TV every afternoon. Laziness doesn't cut it, and short cuts do not work.

Why should we expect positive results if our government is looking for the short cut to a healthy economy?

I know I am just a Mom, not an economist, but I also know that our family couldn't survive with deficits like the federal government currently runs. And if I gave my son money to buy a gallon of milk and he came home with a pocketful of candy, I wouldn't trust him with the same errand in the future. Maybe Treasury Secretary Geitner should keep that in mind when he deals with executives at AIG, Citigroup, and Bank of America.

Several news outlets are offering updates and opinions on the progress of the Stimulus Bill in the Senate. (Bloomberg, Huffington Post, NYTimes)

You can also find a copy of the House version of the stimulus bill here.

If you have some time, please have a look and formulate your own opinions. Then write your Senators and Representative to let them know what you think.

In my opinion, this time there is no quick fix -- no amount of Lotto tickets, diet pills, or Botox are going to make the economy healthy again. The most we can expect is a reasonable compromise and lots and LOTS of hard work.

I think we're up to it, if we're finally willing to give it a try.


- Midwest Mom

Kindergarten Chaos Theory

During the first week of school, there is no crazier place than the lunchroom. And once the novelty and strangeness of school wears off, there is no wilder group than kindergartners.

Today was the third full day of school for my son and his kindergarten classmates. The group is getting to know one another -- I've already been showered with stories about new friends or students who 'push the envelope', so to speak. On the first day, our teacher mentioned that parents should plan on helping out in the lunchroom. Yesterday, I was one of four or five parents who showed up. Today, it was just me.

Wrangling my son's lively class into an unfamiliar cafeteria 'assembly line' was like putting chickens into a pen. As soon as I would get a few doing what they needed to do, others would get distracted or stray. Getting them to sit down and start eating was equally challenging.

A few of them tasted the food and held me responsible. "I don't like this," I was told with a look that meant an alternative should be produced at once. I apologized and told the students that they should just try to eat enough to get them through the afternoon without being hungry. As a result, several children ate lime jello and chocolate milk and called it a day.

One child who brought a meal from home ate fruit snacks and juice for lunch. I suggested that his parents had sent him with a sandwich and that he should consider eating it instead of candy. I was told, "This isn't candy; they're fruit snacks." Yeah. Right. That's a clever bit of marketing if I ever heard it.

But, dietary choices aside, lunchroom behavior was moderately suppressed chaos. It was loud and crazy, with kids constantly moving to and from tables.

At one point, I praised a kindergartner who was doing a great job eating and behaving. He proceeded to cover his eyes and start yelling gibberish at the top of his lungs. "What are you doing?" I demanded. He responded that he was done with his lunch, so he was having some fun. "You should see my brother. He's four. He yells and runs around naked sometimes," he continued. "That's not appropriate behavior for school," I told him in measured tones. "Okay," he shrugged and turned to talk to the boy next to him as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I joked with a teacher-friend as I finished my volunteer time that I could never do this for a living. "You guys don't get paid enough!" I said. She responded by saying I should run for a seat on the school board. We both laughed.

But, now that I think about it, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should require that the people who will make decisions about teacher pay spend a few hours volunteering in the lunchroom during the first week of school. I can think of no better place to gain an appreciation for the people who make our schools really work. The teachers I saw today were patient and kind and professional in spite of the chaos.

After one hour, I felt like I needed a nap.


Midwest Mom

Where would we be without DAD?

In our household, my husband has things pretty nice. At least, when I'm not really thinking about it, that's how it seems. You know, day to day. He has his laundry done and good food. He has children who think the sun rises and sets over him and a wife who misses him when he's away. Sounds like a pretty good life, don't you think?

But there are parts of his life that are, maybe, not so great. When you're a Dad, you find that there is a whole list of things that have, suddenly, become your job. Consider these.

1.) Home repair -- In our house, Dad has replaced carpeting, plumbing, plaster, moved walls, wired switches, repaired roofing, built 2 bathrooms, remodeled a kitchen, and just this week, dug a pit for a sump pump in the basement... waist deep... after breaking through the concrete slab with a sledge hammer. (Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it!)

2.) Dead Critter Removal -- The stinkiest, most disgusting job in any household comes when some unsuspecting creature kicks the bucket in an unexpected place. It could be the attic. It could be the yard. It could be inside the wall. When it happens, who do you call? Not Ghostbusters -- you call Dad.

3.) Dealing with an overtired Me -- I don't know about you, but when I get too tired (think about the first three months after having any of our children), I could cry at burnt toast. I could lose my temper at a broken shoelace. (And trust me, I do.) I have the tremendous blessing of a husband who will calmly make space for me to get some rest when I need it. And what a relief that is -- for all of us.

4.) Supporting our family -- He doesn't get summer vacation any more. He works every weekday and a couple weekends each month. When there are problems other people can't fix, they call him in the middle of the night. I give him his props for bringing home the bacon. He does honest, hard work every single day -- even when he doesn't feel like it. He is dedicated and consistent and that should never be taken for granted.

5.) Professional wrestling -- Can you imagine, after a day where you had a 5 a.m. meeting and worked your tail off until 6 p.m., coming home only to be pounced upon relentlessly by three wiggly, giggling children? Dad does that in our house. He plays tag and tickles and wrestles and wrestles and wrestles, even when I know he just wants to nap. ... And he does it with a smile.

So, honey, for the home repair and critter control, for supporting us and supporting me, and for making the children's lives full of happy times with their Dad, thanks. Actually, maybe thanks are not enough. Perhaps I'll say thanks and bake you a pie. :)

With all my love,

Midwest Mom