Natural Attachment

July 3, 2009

Nemi Does It Again

Filed under: Entertainment, Media — Tags: , , , — michele james-parham @ 6:31 pm

For those of you who don’t know, I am a HUGE fan of Nemi. I especially like it when she has something to say about children or being a child — she is afraid of growing up, despite the fact that she is an ‘adult’. In so many ways Nemi and I are alike. I admire her ability to sum up a person in a short little ‘talk-bubble’. So, here’s the most recent strip of Nemi. Click on the picture to enlarge it a bit.

You can find Nemi in the Metro every day or have it sent to your blog/news reader via this feed.

June 30, 2009

Just Say Yes!

One of the first pieces of advice parents get from other peaceful/mindful parents or unschooling parents when they are trying to release their need for control is, “just say yes”. The idea is to find a way to say yes to everything that you possibly can…barring those things which could cause serious harm. And when harm is a possibility, find ways to say yes to part of a request or offer a slight tweak in the idea/plan to avoid possible harm. It is always possible on some level to say yes I am finding (reminding myself).

Yes feels right. Fluid. Flexible. Adaptable. Yes feels loving. Light. Comforting. No feels wrong. Rigid. Unmoving. No feels defeated. Cumbersome. Finite.

I am usually a ‘yes-mum’, but lately, for unknown reasons, I’ve been saying some nos. I realized it today while looking back over the last few weeks. The days when I felt crappy and negative were the days with nos. The days that weren’t joyful were days with nos. The days I had old tapes playing in my mind, were days with nos. So, I thought that I’d bring some good advice for ‘newbies’ and myself. Just say yes!

Letting go of control

Just Say “YES!!!!!”

Finding the Yes

The most Hands On way of being Hands Off

Sandra Dodd on “Saying Yes”

“We can be our kids partner in helping them get what they want in life or we can be the barrier that opens or closes according to our whim.” Beautiful quote from this piece.

Saying “YES” to Children

Yes!

How are you saying “yes”? Can you commit to one day of yeses and then two and before you know it, possibly an entire week? Where could you go from there?

Bits & Pieces & No Hugging

Dress up is always evolving around here. It comes and it goes. The latest installment is Elijah as DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba.

DJ Lance Rock

DJ Lance Rock

DJ Lance Rock -- some more

DJ Lance Rock -- some more

We also revisited a gift from Great-Grandma from awhile back. We made snakes.

snake

snake

There are always battles going on over here. Lately, beating each other silly with cardboard tubes is where it’s at…

on guard

on guard

Then there was that whole street-wide yard sale. All the houses on our street decided to have yard sales on the same day. It turned out fairly well. Despite the rain threatening to drench us all it was a great day. The best part was having all the neighbors out and seeing each other visit, swap and have fun. One neighbor even brought out the grill and started grilling up food to sell and for the other neighbors…but she’s just awesome like that anyway :) Alas, no pictures.

On Sunday we had our First Annual Ice Cream, Jazz, Water Balloon/Gun and Champagne Fun Fest. We opened our house to pretty much anyone and everyone. It was a success. People of all ages and backgrounds came to hang out, pig out and make friends. Our first visitors showed up a little after two and the last visitors excused themselves around 9:30 or so. We still have SO MUCH ice cream it is sickening! The good news, is that we won’t have to buy it for awhile :)

I learned that I am not the person to fill up water balloons, because I turn them into deadly weapons. Apparently, you are supposed to fill them up really full, which I didn’t do and unless you were line-driving them into people, they wouldn’t pop. Next year, I will recuse myself from that duty and we’ll just stick to buckets, cups and squirt guns. I have to say that it was really fun despite my death bombs!

Again, alas, there are no pictures. I am beginning to think I have a problem. Is there a way to surgically affix a camera to one’s self?

I managed to get 13 seedlings/plants in the ground in our home garden after picking up the yard yesterday. Hopefully, they will make it and we’ll be eating more from our yard soon. I wasn’t on the ball this year for some reason. I think I have just been so overwhelmed with all the BIG things we’ve been planning and getting ready for and the ones that we’ve already adventured through.

And last, while pretending to be DJ Lance, I told Elijah more about how school children are not being allowed to share in the human experience by way of hugging. Here’s his reaction in a photograph:

really, are you kidding me? no hugs? people are weird mum.

"really, are you kidding me? no hugs? people are weird mum."

Really!?! I mean really? (thank you Seth Meyers) No hugging? At what point are you allowed to be human at school? Wait, at no point, because that would mean that your autonomy would be respected and you could think critically and realize that you’d be much better off living and learning in the REAL WORLD and not in a brick box only reading about the Real World all day.

Ban hugging in school? Is it wrong that I totally agree with the little story in the beginning of this…”Well,” said the mother. “You did what you felt like doing — and so did he.” Don’t just think you can hug my son — try asking or waiting for him to make the move.

You There! No Hugging!

Where Students Can’t Hug

I say, all these tight-ass school board types need some Free Hugs, because obviously they are deprived of human touch and love.

Monkey Platters in June

Again, sorry that I am behind in posting pictures of Monkey Platters. We had been really busy cleaning and planning for a street wide yard sale and then turned right around and did it all again for a party at our house.


Strawberries* & Blueberries*
Chick Peas*
Nori Sheets cut into triangles*
Tostitos Scoops


Dill Pickles* & Black Olives
Wild Wood Patty on Multigrain British Muffin* w/ Vegan Mayo*
Pretzel Nuggets * Jelly Bellies
2 Apples*

Sunflower Seed Butter & Apricot Jelly* Sandwich
Carrots*
Apple*
Green Grapes*
Dill Pickles* & Black Olives

*organic

That’s all I have right now…it’s been REALLY busy around here.

3rd CSA of 2009

Filed under: Grub, Photographs, Pittsburghian — Tags: , , , , , , , — michele james-parham @ 10:17 am

A little late posting about last week’s goodies, but I was rather busy getting ready for a party (more on that later).

Beautiful Rainbow Chard

Beautiful Rainbow Chard

OMG perfect basil...seriously

OMG perfect basil...seriously

Boun-tee-full

Boun-tee-full

What do we have here?:
Md. bunch Rainbow Chard
Lg. bunch Basil (the most aromatic basil I’ve ever smelled)
4 super long Green Onions
3 Radishes
6 Garlic Scapes
2 sm. heads Broccoli
Sm. bag Mesclun Greens
Md. bag Spinach
Md. head Bibb Lettuce
Huge head Green Leaf Lettuce
3 Zucchini
Md. bag (approx 2.5#) Sweet Peas

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"Do you ever wonder who the leader is? Do you ever stop and think that you could stop following and start leading your own family?" - Valerie Fitzenreiter ~~ "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." - Albert Einstein

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