"Expunge that phrase from your lexicon!"

In case you were wondering, that's the phrase I said to the Orclette after she barraged me with "momma, do this right now" all morning. She understood my intent, if not the actual words, and ceased ordering me about.

And I have been thinking about what I said all morning, because I said it naturally. I wasn't trying to come up with words seldom used or sound smart. It's just what came out. And that's how I've always spoken to the Orclette. I never spoke baby-talk to her. I couldn't, actually. It sounded silly and my voice wouldn't do it. As a result she sounds more like a teenager than a three-year old, pulling words and phrases out of her memory that routinely astonish us. Of course her maturity level is still at three, so sometimes the combination is overwhelmingly funny. In case you were curious, I do occasionally speak baby-talk to the Miniorc. I appear to have mastered that language the second time around.

In other areas as well the Orclette excels. It's a combination of natural smarts and her parents always talking about what they're doing in school. And it struck me this afternoon: I want to develop a culture of learning around my kids. We're on our way already. "Dora the Explorer" is frequently on and because my collegiate Spanish course is simply not adequate in learning the language I play language cd's while we're in the car. Recently the Orclette has begun asking me the Spanish equivalent for anything she sees or thinks about. The Miniorc can do basic chores (like throwing things away) and follow most commands/instructions even though he doesn't feel the need to speak much yet. Both of them love to "read" and will pore over the pictures in books. The Orclette loves going to the engineering classes with Damm (although she doesn't understand what they're talking about). The Miniorc has inherited his mother's love of pens and highlighters.

So at the moment I don't feel the need to change our routine, beyond making sure I play a wider range of music. My mother did that for us, and all three of us turned out to be musicians. I'd love for my kids to do the same. They already love the piano and singing is a constant activity. In the future? I don't know yet. I just got the idea, and it needs to germinate for awhile.

Lest I appear to be tooting our horn, let me add that there's plenty of frivolity going on as well. There are days that no school/learning/culture activities are done, and on those days I wile away the day watching t.v. or reading escapist novels. But I do aspire to more days with a "culture of learning" going on and less "popular culture". Less t.v., more arts. Less escapist fiction, more literature that makes us think and reevaluate. That kind of thing.

And the best compliment I received today was my little brother telling me that he was totally going to use the phrase "Expunge that phrase from your lexicon!" because it was so cool.

Oral Topic

Note: Some comments to posts had been disappearing. I didn't even think to check my spam filter, but I did today, and lo and behold there they were. They have been released from their spam prison.

Back to my topic: Once again, one of my professors likes to have their students give speeches. Last semester I chose to speak about Jin Ping Mei, which is, for all intents and purposes, a pornographic book. My topic was something along the lines of "What can we learn about Chinese society through its treatment of taboo subjects such as sexuality?" I'm sure I phrased that more prettily, but I am not rifling through my papers from last semester to find out precisely what I had written. In case you were wondering, the speech was well received. The only detractor was that I hadn't included pictures.

This semester I don't think a subject like that would fly well. My Jin Ping Mei talk was given to a room full of Honor students, who had been working in close quarters with each other. My European class, however, is a regular class and is held in a huge, drafty classroom. It just won't work.

So I think I'm going to talk about Belgium during WWII. My father was born there, my grandparents lived through WWII while living there, so it has nice congruity for me. I probably won't mention why I chose the topic, as this class is taught by the professor who called my attempt to personalize an essay "Irrelevant" with a huge red slash mark. I'm getting over it. Really, I am. I have found the bright side and I will review all of his comments and see if I can learn anything from them.

And that's how far I've gotten in my thinking/research. I emailed my dad, as he is a military history fan and might know of some good resources. I'll start my research soonish. At least the professor has made this easy and prohibited any use of electronics during our speeches. No power points, which is disappointing because I just learned how to make them. If you had any doubts about my professed ineptness with computers, I'm sure that information just banished them. And yes, this professor it that person who doesn't like technology. I don't agree with his stance but it's his classroom.

So there you go. I have yet to decide if I will focus on the military side of things or the civilian. Maybe both? I have to talk for ten minutes. Which wouldn't seem so daunting if this professor was more likable. I really don't want to be standing in front of a bunch of people freaking out that what I'm saying is "Irrelevant!" But then, I will have the floor, and it will be mine for ten whole minutes. Any comments but mine would be irrelevant. I guess I haven't truly gotten over that comment yet.

Irrelevant indeed.

More, dangnabbit!

I need more blogs to read. Or the blogs I do read need to update more. Twice a day is just not enough!

That is all.

Bed Rest

I've been faithfully following fellow blogger TJ's postings about her pregnancy. I'm addicted to her writing style. While reading her accounts of being put on bed rest and other pregnancy adventures, I found myself wondering: Would I have gone on strict bed rest? I mean, I did trek cross country at eight months pregnant to see Damm after six months apart. Against doctor's orders, I might add. It got so bad with my doctor that I threatened to wait until I went into labor to grace the hospital with my presence. I don't do confrontations like that over the phone. It was quite unnerving.

So I'm not a model patient. I don't think I'd take a sentence of strict bed rest lying down (a pun! a glorious pun!). I didn't have an actual reason at first to hypothetically disobey my doctor. It was just a feeling. Usually my feelings are right. So then I asked myself: is strict bed rest safe? Has there been any controversy over this?

Now before I go further I have to say two things: One, I am in no way critiquing TJ. She is doing what she thinks best for her baby, and I have nothing but admiration for the lengths she's willing to go to keep her child safe. If she thinks something is right for her kid, then that something is right. I hold that to be true for all mothers (within the usual boundaries, of course. I am not talking about drug addicts). Two, I am not pregnant. I have no plans to become so. I, like my mother before me, love creating controversy with our doctors. It's totally my mother's fault this post is being written.

So back to strict bed rest: yes, there is a camp that thinks it's harmful to put a mother on it. Here is an article I found. I have no idea what the Science Daily is or whether it's trustworthy. I was just looking for evidence that this notion is disputed.

Cue my reasons for doubting strict bed rest's effectiveness: We are always being told that sitting around is harmful. It's bad for circulation, it's bad for our weight, it's just bad. So sitting around all day in bed would basically make our bodies not function at maximum capacity. Furthermore, what about the psychological effects of sitting in bed all day? I always say that sports is half mental, half physical. Actually someone else said that, and now I repeat it. I know that for me, bed rest would feel like a Doomsday sentence. It would leach most of my hopeful, bubbly personality.

But Wulfa, you say, these doctors are highly trained people who know what they're doing. This is true. But does that automatically make them right? What if they haven't kept up on the latest research and findings? What if they're stuck in their ways and unable to change? All of this can happen, and does. And if another doctor criticizes me for getting information off the internet just because it's the internet we are going to have serious words. I am aware that some (many!) sites on the internet aren't trustworthy. But the Mayo Clinic webpage? Or the American Pediatrics site?

But I'm about to run after a rabbit trail. Back to topic: I have no firm convictions that strict bed rest is wrong. I merely have doubts. And I would not dream of telling a woman on bed rest that she should go against her doctor's instructions. I'm just concerned that even if strict bed rest is shown to be harmful, most doctors will choose to continue the practice simply because it's what has been done in the past. And that annoys me. Because if ever a third Orc child should be conceived, and I get put on any type of bed rest, there is going to be a mighty fight a comin', which could've been prevented if my doctor was up to speed. Although maybe I'd get an avante-garde phsyician. It could happen.

Given that I have issues (when do I not?), what would my solution be? It is this: modified bed rest. I think that is a wonderful idea. Some light and easy yoga, puttering around the house, lots of naps, absolutely no strenuous activity. But some activity. It would keep the circulation going, not put serious dampers on the psyche, yet would not endanger mother or child.

Of course, I am not a medical professional. I am merely babbling. I thought I should point that out. In no way should my words be taken as medical advice. Perhaps I should've put that at the beginning of my rambling. Also: I originally was using the phrase "bed rest" and then went back and changed it to "strict bed rest". I attempted to make sure the different phrasing fit, but if I missed something now you know why it sounded awkward.

Perhaps now I can stop thinking about this issue. I've expressed my doubts, given some thought as to why (don't judge my research/thinking abilities by this post), and have even given a solution. I even bought a lava lamp today. I am officially "cool".

More things for school.

My Song

The song that defines me. It isn’t as easy as that. I listen to music very rarely and when I do the range of songs I listen to is rather wide. There has never been one song or one type of song that I really like. I do remember key songs that really impacted me at certain times of my life.

I grew up on country (“Ain’t nothing wrong with my radio”) and Baptist hymns (“At the Cross”). When I hit college I started listening to rock (“Rainmaker”) and more contemporary praise music (“Show me your glory”). In between my college years it was more just rock with “Cold Eyed Bitch” (Jet) and “24 hours” (Jem). Later on “Citizen Soldier” by 3 Doors Down was initial reason I even looked into joining the Army. And now that I’m married with kids my tastes have drifted again with Cascada(“Evacuate the Dance Floor”) and Lady Gaga(“Pokerface”) and Flo Rida(“Apple bottom jeans”) taking a big role in my life. But the hymns are still very much a factor as I sing my kids to sleep with “Nothing but the Blood”.

I’m sure that if you were a music major, you could find something about these songs that connects them all into what I like. I know that I still sing along to any of them that I hear. But none of them have ever been dominate over a large period of my life.

So I decided to answer the question a different way. Rather than look for the song that has impacted my life the most I would look for the song that most defines where I would like to be in life. And that would be “It is well with my soul” by Horatio G. Spafford (Lyrics) and Phillip P. Bliss (Music).

It is a song I’ve liked a lot throughout my life but not one that I listened to much. The key thing is the lyrics. Even if you are not a religious person there is value in being a soul at peace. And if you are there is even more value in being at peace and centered with your God. I’ve lived a very restless and uncertain life, always moving, always making new plans; and I find something extremely desirable about being able to be at peace in all circumstances, whether good or bad. And so I would say that –my- song, the song that defines who I am would be this one. Because it defines my overwhelming urge to be content in all moments of life. To be able to find rest, to “be still and know”₍₁₎ that God is God.

(1) Psalms 46:10