Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is having a great thanksgiving today!! =)

Melamine

Yesterday the news broke, that the FDA found trace amounts of melamine in one infant formula sample. It was quickly said that parents shouldn't be concerned:

"The levels that we are detecting are extremely low," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "They should not be changing the diet. If they've been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That's in the best interest of the baby." from here

I feel it was glossed over much to quickly. At first, the FDA wouldn't even let us know which formula had the melamine in it! Now we know it was Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. We also know that Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron has trace amounts of cyanuric acid in it - which is a melamine byproduct and probably just as unsafe as melamine.

So why am I writing about this today? It's because in October, the same FDA that says this formula is safe and to keep giving it to our children had this to say:

FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns. In large part, this is because of gaps in our scientific knowledge about the toxicity of melamine and its analogues in infants, including:

1. the consequences of the continuous use of infant formulas as the sole source of nutrition;
2. the uncertainties associated with the possible presence and co-ingestion of more than one melamine analogue; and
3. for premature infants with immature kidney function, the possibility that they may be fed these formulas as the sole source of nutrition and thus on a body weight basis experience greater levels of intake for a longer time than is experienced by term infants.

There is too much uncertainty to set a level in infant formula and rule out any public health concern. from here

I believe the FDA should keep with the original policy and get this formula off the shelf ASAP. I'm not the only one either.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who heads a panel that oversees the FDA budget, said the agency was taking a "marketplace first, science last" approach.

"The FDA should be insisting on a zero-tolerance policy for melamine in domestic infant formula until it is able to determine conclusively based on sound independent science that the trace levels would not pose a health risk to infants," DeLauro said.

Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., a frequent critic of the FDA, said: "If no safe level of melamine has been established for consumption by children, then the FDA should immediately recall any formula that has tested positive for even trace amounts of the contaminant." from here

We should not sit back and accept this. Please, please, if you know any mom out there who is giving her baby formula, please, let her know this information.

I firmly believe the FDA is putting our children at risk and moms need to have this information right now. I think moms need to speak out and let the FDA know that we will not sit back and accept this. We should be mad. We should be angry. We, who were so mad at the Chinese for the melamine that has harmed children over there. We, who shouted from the mountain tops to get the lead out of our children's toys. We, who rose up to get mercury removed from vaccines. Now it is time for us to rise up again. It is time to shout. It is time to get angry. And it is time to let the FDA know that it is absolutely in no way, shape, or form acceptable to allow melamine to be in our children's formula!



Other bloggers talking about this:

Melamine in US Baby Formula: URGENT Health Alert

We Are All Chinese Now: FDA Finds Melamine in US Infant Formula, But Recommends Parents Continue Using It
In Other News, Breastmilk Still Melamine-Free
Melamine in Infant Formula and the FDA

More giveaways

More fabulous things over at momgenerations.com
Today they are giving away a ton of Playskool Things. If I win, I have a different child in mind for each item they are giving away!
You have to check it out here ... you wouldn't believe me if I told you all the things you could win just today!

Great Giveaways

Over here

Go enter!! I entered two so far ... I hope I win! LOL =)

Twilight

Over the weekend I read the book Twilight. I realize I might be one of the last people on earth to read it, but I was waiting to get it from the library but finally have up on waiting.
Good book! I jumped right into the second one (which I finished tonight). I only wish that I had brought the third book to reading right now. But alas I didn't.
Anyway, yesterday my sister mentioned she was going to the midnight showing over the book and so I invited myself along LOL!
So tonight at about 9 I showed up at the theater. We've been told they sold out 17 theaters, although I'm not sure it was 17 - there are a ton of people here!
We were allowed in the theater a bit ago. And so here I sit. 90 minutes until showtime. Because the theater is jammed, I am no longer by my sister and that is a bummer.
I don't know what I will do for the next 90 minutes. I wish I would have realized that there would be time to read before I left my house!
Anyway, here I sit in a dimly lit theater. Kind of bored but anxious for the movie to start.
Here's hoping the time passes quickly!

Feel Good Sewing

On election day I did some feel good sewing.
Because I had heard on the radio earlier in the day that being president was all about serving. We don't generally think of it in that terms, but it is what it is.
So I decided to do a bit of serving myself, in a way that I can.

So I made some hats for Mama to Mama and got the kids involved in the process!

Oldest dd and I cutting out hats:


And the finished hats:


I love those little hats. And if I had more shirts, I would have sewed up some more! =)

Movie Knitting

My oldest turned 9 right before Halloween. She was quite excited about this birthday and has been talking about her party for quite some time.
But, dh and I weren't really planning on throwing her a party - we don't generally let them have parties because we don't think they are necessary every year and they are usually too much money.

So we compromised. High School Musical 3 was released around her birthday. So we told her for her party she could invite people to the movie, but the catch was, we couldn't have more than what my car could carry. Which means she was allowed to invite 4 people! Good for us, cost down, fewer kids, not a lot of gifts, etc. But she was excited about it.

I, however, did not put HSM 3 on my must see list because well, I figured it would be like 1 and 2 - there would be singing and dancing. And seriously, I think Zac Effron makes some really weird faces at times!

So, we got there. And I pulled out knitting and made about 1/2 of a dishcloth!


Not too bad knitting wise. And my girl had a GREAT birthday!

About a month late?

Well, I did finish the halloween costumes on time!! However, I never showed them to you, so here goes!

The princess:

The fairy:


All three kids together (and also the mouse, who wouldn't pose for a picture by himself!!)

So glad that I finished and I have to admit that they were pains in the butt to sew! All of them were just long processes with gathering and casings and pieces and ribbon and zippers and all those things. But, let me tell you, it was worth it 100% and I would do it again in a heartbeat .... or at least next September and October!
=)

Knitting blog?

I described my blog today as a knitting blog with other crafts as well.
Um yeah, apparently I haven't really been reading my own blog very well because I can't remember the last time I showed pictures, so today, I shall overload you all with them LOL!

=)

Where did all my time go?

All of a sudden, well okay, not all of a sudden, probably about 6 weeks ago, all my blogging time magically vanished. I hardly blog. I rarely have time to read other people's blogs.
Where did all the time go?

Well, here's what we've been up to lately:

• me addicted to a computer game (very fun but it's a game where all of a sudden you realized that 60 minutes just flew by!)
• we got pool passes for the entire family and dh and I joined a gym. He's actually worked out once (I'm so excited for him). I have taken the kids swimming a few times, and since for some reason all three want to be in 12 feet water, I consider that my work out!
• weddings and showers and other things are coming upon us, so work on those have taken a lot of time (did I mention I'm making invitations for one of them? I might have, 200 invitations, fun and mostly easy, but slow going)
• cleaning, cooking, laundrying - I sweat none of that ever ends.
• some reading has been going on
• spending time with my hubby
• planning a few small trips out of town
• trying to get ready for Christmas
• posting over at www.themotherhood.com and loving every minute of it
• some sewing
• some organizing, switching summer clothes out for winter clothes
• cleaning cabinets and closets and drawers and other nooks and crannies

I have actually been quite busy and not at home as much as usual. And so blogging has fallen by the wayside for the moment. But I'm sure once the holidays pass, I'll be posting more. For now, posting and reading will be hit or miss. And I'm sorry for that, but I hope you'll keep reading =)

And if you really need to get more of me, you can follow me on The Motherhood or on Twitter! Because it's easier to leave little snippets there and not feel like it's cheating!!

Blah.

That's how I'm feeling right now. Very blah-ish. I'm tired (I haven't been sleeping nearly enough and it's my own fault). And it's now cold and chilly and and overcast and gray and yucky out. I have a 2 year old who's main goal in life is to break as many rules as possible as many times as possible each second of the day. I have kids who are messy and loud and leave crumbs everywhere and also leave scissors out so the previously mentioned 2 year old can cut lots of things up that he shouldn't be cutting when no one is looking. I have a new cat who thinks my toes are his most favorite toy. I have a husband who works too damn much. And I have budget that does not allow me to purchase pretty much anything without agonizing over the questions of do we need it, is the price worth it, will I really use it, can I find it cheaper somewhere else, and is there something else I should be buying instead.

And among all of that, I have a TON to be grateful for. And I know it, but I can't find those things to latch onto today. They are hiding behind my I hate the world attitude. They are overshadowed by the never ending to do list. They can't be overheard above the crying and the whining and the yelling and fighting. But I know they are there. I know I will find them again.

But today. Today I am grumpy and crabby. And today I wishing for more: more time to sleep, more time to be alone, more money to spend, more friends to talk with, more patience to deal with it all, more love in my heart, more understanding when talking with others and more forgiveness for those I am really just not happy with.

I'll get there. Let's just all pray that it happens sooner rather than later.

can you help?

can you help out?

http://www.themotherhood.com/post.php?sid=172223

Help!

I'm making my cousin her wedding shawl. And I don't know which to make. So I'm enlisting your help!!

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4

Number 5

Number 6

Number 7

See, I can't even limit it to just three choices. In my defense though, I looked through approximately 2500 patterns to get these 7.

I voted ..

Did you?


*again, if reading through a reader, you need to click through to get the audio!

Call in the Vote

This is so exciting ... I hope you participate and also, tell your friends to join in the fun too!

Here's how it works - very simple, easy and fun:

1) Join TheMotherhood.com (if you're not already in there) and be sure to put your cell phone number in when prompted during sign-up.

2) Join the Moms CALL IN the Vote circle http://www.themotherhood.com/circle.php?l=8734 and make it your Mobile Circle.

3) Go to your polling place to vote.

3) Pick up your cell phone and call 412-282-1182 (tip: add that number to your phone's contacts ahead of time.)

4) Give us a live, on the ground report. Tell us about voting, how you feel, what the experience is like and any other election day coverage! What did the kids think? Find your inner Couric and maybe even interview some others who are voting for more great coverage of the day. The recordings will show up immediately on TheMotherhood.com in the Moms CALL IN the Vote circle http://www.themotherhood.com/circle.php?l=8734.

5) Take the embed code from TheMotherhood.com (it will appear directly underneath your recording) and embed your voice -- and other recordings you hear there too if you like -- on your own blog.

6) Listen to (and save for posterity) grassroots, citizen mom journalist coverage at its finest on this most historic day.