BREAKING NEWS - PepsiCo

I posted earlier this morning about "U" Week, but had to interrupt my regularly scheduled posting to share some awesome news!!!  God is so good...and boycotts work!!

See below for the great news!

Now to tackle big Pharma...

For Immediate Release: April 30, 2012

Boycott Ends: PepsiCo will not use aborted fetal cell lines for flavor enhancers

(Largo, Fl) Children of God for Life announced today the stunning news that PepsiCo will not use aborted fetal cell line HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney) in their contractual agreement with Senomyx to develop flavor enhancers for their beverages.

Children of God for Life’s Executive Director, Debi Vinnedge, hailed PepsiCo’s decision as a major breakthrough and achievement by thousands of concerned consumers who have been writing and boycotting PepsiCo beverages since last May.

In a letter to Children of God for Life, PepsiCo’s VP of Global Public Policy, Paul Boykas stated that “Senomyx will not use HEK cells or any other tissues or cell lines derived from human embryos or fetuses for research performed on behalf of PepsiCo.”  

“We are absolutely thrilled with PepsiCo’s decision,” stated Mrs. Vinnedge. “They have listened to their customers and have made both a wise and profound statement of corporate integrity that deserves the utmost respect, admiration and support of the public.” 

In speaking with Mr. Boykas, Vinnedge noted that the company had conducted internal discussions, recognizing it was a highly sensitive and controversial subject that quite frankly, was not in the best interests of PepsiCo.  “We took the matter very seriously,” stated Mr. Boykas. “We have an official Statement on Responsible Research and we intend to live by that policy.”

That policy precludes any research by PepsiCo - or third parties they fund – from using human tissue or cell lines derived from embryos or fetuses.  The decision means an immediate end to the boycott that began in May 2011- welcome news to both PepsiCo and their customers who have abstained from their favorite beverages in protest.

“We are grateful to PepsiCo and especially to all those who sent a loud and clear message to the management of this company. It’s incumbent upon us to closely monitor the situation to be sure that PepsiCo remains true to their word,” said Brad Mattes, Executive Director of Life Issues Institute, one of thirty five prolife organizations that joined Children of God for Life in the boycott. “There are moral cell lines Senomyx can and should be using – not just for PepsiCo research but for all their customers.”

Senomyx receives royalties for products sold using their ingredients. If they do not use aborted fetal cell lines, they offend no one; if they do, they most certainly offend at least half of US consumers who are prolife.  But Children of God for Life also heard from a number of women who stated they were pro choice yet this use of aborted fetal cell lines, crossed the line and angered them as well. 

“If for no other reason, it only makes financial sense for both Senomyx and their collaborators to avoid a substantial loss of potential market,” Vinnedge said. “Senomyx needs to stop using the aborted fetal cell lines entirely and we will continue to pressure them to do so.”

Vinnedge is strongly encouraging the public to take one more important step:  write to PepsiCo and thank them – and then go buy your favorite Pepsi products to celebrate!

“Too often we seem to focus on the negatives and forget to take the time to let others know we appreciate their efforts”, stated Vinnedge. “It is our sincere hope that the public will once again rise to the occasion en masse as they did in the boycott – but this time in appreciation and support of PepsiCo.”

For more information visit: www.cogforlife.org/pepsiboycottnews.htm 

Also, please take the time to contact Pepsi and THANK them for doing the right thing.  Click HERE to email them directly through their website.

"U" is for umbrella

We did several activities during "U" week, mainly papers (coloring sheets and some various worksheets) I printed off for Gemma.  She's getting more into working on stuff like that (often while Kolbe naps) and her coloring skills have improved by leaps and bounds over the past six months.  Our "big project" for the week was umbrellas!  Gemma and Kolbe both had fun working on this.  Seriously, painting is so exciting for them especially the "special" paints, AKA the non-watercolor ones.  (Watercolors are my go-to paint of choice most times, they are so easy and the mess is minimal.)  I morphed this paper-plate umbrella craft from several ideas I found on the vast and super-handy interwebs.  It was very easy.

• Take a paper plate and draw scallops across the middle.
• Cut out.
• Use a sharpie to section it out.
• Have kids choose colors and paint sections.  Or just paint randomly in Kolbe's case.
• Let dry.
• Choose pipe-cleaner color and tape on back then make hook on bottom for handle.
• Glue pom-pom color of choice on top in middle.
• Voile!  Umbrellas!!!

We also read The Umbrella by Jan Brett, and this great picture book by the same title.  Picture books (without words) have always intimidated me.  I feel like I'm not creative enough to make them interesting, but we really had fun with this one.  The pictures were excellent, vibrant and colorful, they made you glad there weren't words to get in the way.  We also discussed the various paintings of umbrellas in Museum ABC.

Check back tomorrow for a review on the book of poems we enjoyed during "U" week!

Flip reviewed...again, AND Econobum

I reviewed the Flip diaper cover/system here about a year ago, but in revisiting Flip, I don't think I was using it exactly for its intended purpose, so I thought I'd review it again.  For quite some time now, Kolbe has been in a very "in between" stage in regards to potty-learning.  He poops on the toilet exclusively, and potties there with very irregular regularity.  Not enough to wear training pants yet, but enough so that putting on a prefold, snappi and cover each time he goes or tries is a bit tedious.  When he hit this point last Fall, I started using my bumGenius 3.0's and 4.0's exclusively with him namely for their ease of use.  And it's been really nice.  But after 6-8 months of fairly heavy use and washing (I have around 18, and launder every 2-3 days), I can tell that as much as I like the bG diaper, it just doesn't hold up (or absorb) like prefolds do.  At all.  Oh, they still have plenty of life in them - don't get me wrong - and I've refreshed the elastic and aplix in (almost) all of the 3.0's,  I can just tell they definitely have more of a life to them.  One thing I've done that I think will extend the life of any diaper (or cover) is started buying diapers and covers that fasten with snaps vs. aplix (velcro).  I was a tough sell on snaps, took me a long time to even try them...I was convinced they wouldn't work well.  But I tell you, I am now a firm believer.  I like 'em a lot.  But even so, I was wanting something to ease the use on my bG's a bit so I decided to revisit Flip.  I picked up another cover on sale, and as per some recommendations I read in other reviews, I grabbed a 3-pack of Econobum prefolds as well.  This has proven to be a very economical and fairly easy alternative to all-in-ones (like bG).  The Econobum prefolds are different from a regular prefold in that they are the same thickness all the way across.  Plus, they are sized smaller/differently than regular prefolds.  So all I have to do is fold one in half, lay it in the Flip cover (there is a place to tuck it under in the front and back) and put the diaper on Kolbe.  The same cover can be reused multiple times before washing.  Like I said, a little more work than an AIO, but definitely an acceptable alternative.  And I like the Flip cover over other similar covers (like the Econobum cover for instance) because it has two rows of snaps where it fastens instead of just one, which makes for a better fit IMHO.  This cover also has an adjustable rise.   If you're looking for an economical alternative to all-in-ones, I would definitely recommend the Flip/Econobum combo.  There is also a variety of inserts made by Flip, including disposable inserts.  Click here for more details.

**I did not receive anything in return for this review.**

"T" week

"T" is for St. Therese

Gemma is finally getting old enough for saint stories from our Picture Book of Saints.  I love being able to share the lives of the saints with her, and look forward to sharing more of these with both kids in the future.

 

We read about St. Therese, and then made some Sacrifice Beads (or Good Deed Beads) to hang on our fridge and use as a family.  This was a really great carry-over activity as we had talked a lot about sacrifices during Lent, and used purple beads in our alms jar for sacrifices made.  I'm hoping our Sacrifice/Good Deed Beads help us carry on this tradition throughout the year.  Or at least give us more of an awareness of the importance of making sacrifices.  Heaven knows I could use the reminder.

Gemma also colored this St. Therese coloring sheet.



Popsicle Stick "T's"
Gemma painted some popsicle stick T's (pictured above with Therese) and used the extra paint to paint some big T's and little t's on paper.  She also colored a bunch more popsicle sticks to go along with the painted set I made, and formed some T's with those.  I like the letters that have straight lines.  :-D  Although for those that don't, this set looks pretty cool.

"T" is for Trinity
Here are a few great Trinity activities from Catholic Icing:
Shamrock Trinity (and even more ideas here)
Popsicle stick Trinity
We had done the popsicle stick triangle Trinity back with "G" is for God, so we did the shamrock this go around.  Gemma has been enjoying our lacing cards lately, so this was a great activity for her.

Our favorite "T" books

The Three Trees

"Thank you"

Tiny Tiger

Thunder and Lightning

Miss Spider's Tea Party

My "T" Sound Box

Mr. Murry and Thumbkin

Sock-puppets

My MIL got the kids a make-your-own sock-puppet set for Easter, and those provided quite the entertaining morning around here one day. 

 

 

Family update - April 2012

When I said quarterly I wasn't kidding.  The kids are constantly growing and changing, here are a few things they've been up to and into of late:

GEMMA (4yrs 3months)

• She has quite the imagination.  She'll spend hours with her pretend friends (Hen, Duck, Owl, Cat, Schroeder, Hoots and Bee) and a pile of random household items.  She'll play on the deck with a bucket and a tape measure and a bunch of leaves.  Or in the living room with pillows and plastic eggs and buttons.  If I'm lucky and he's acquiescent, Kolbe will often join in and they really have lots of fun together.  As badly as they can fight (and oooohhhhh sometimes it's bad), they can be very good friends as well.  I am so glad they have each other.
• She makes up songs (and dances all over the house to them) about anything and everything. 
• She has recently given up her nap.  For several months she had been "napping" but not sleeping, and one day she was just playing so nicely on her own (while Kolbe napped) that I just didn't bother to put her down for her nap.  And she kind of liked that.  A lot.  So much that she is pretty adamant about not taking a nap now.  Occasionally I'll make her lie down for a bit, but for the most part she just plays on her own, or we work together on workbooks (we like these as well) or other learning activities that require some one-on-one time.  It's been a nice change.
• She likes making picnics with her toy food in the basement, and is quite elaborate with her table setting.
• She's getting pretty good with scissors (we're currently going through this book), and her drawings are growing more and more intricate all the time.  Kid art is so great.  The front of our fridge is never dull.
• Ohhhh the drama.  Every little cut, scrape, hangnail, etc. has become a big deal recently.  A verrrry biiiiig deeeaaallllll.  Her tantrums can be pretty dramatic as well.  Whew!  Heaven help this mama.
• Gemma is in the 99th %ile for her height at 44.5 inches.  She weighs 36.5 lbs.

KOLBE (2yrs 3months)

• His speech has been improving by leaps and bounds.  Still nowhere close to where Gemma was at this age (or probably where most kids are at 2 1/4 yrs) but he's progressing.  He's using more new words every day and starting to form small sentences when communicating.  Some of his "catch phrases"... He is very polite, "peas" is added to almost every request, quickly followed by a "shoont-yoo mammy" (or daddy or whomever) when said request is fulfilled.  It's so cute.  When he wants something it's "ahhshumpeas" (I want some please), which he will repeat over and over very quickly, getting more demanding the more times he says it.  Aaron and I are so amused by this we've started saying it as well.  "Ball hiiiiiiiigh", when he wants to go out on the driveway and play ball with daddy.  He likes it when daddy throws the ball up high in the air.  And when making the Sign of the Cross or blessing himself he says, "Fah-ver, Ahmen."  He pronounces his name "Babby" (short a, as in apple), and will often emphatically state "Babby do, Babby DO," when he wants to do something on his own.  Which is pretty often.
• He seems to be a natural athlete.  He throws and catches well (for a two-year-old), loves to shoot baskets and is trying his darndest to learn how to dribble.
• He has really started to enjoy being read to, and will absolutely pitch a fit if he doesn't get the three stories of his choosing before bed.  Dah-er Seuss and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb are all-time faves, and he likes to pick a few of his own books out at the library now each week.
• Strong will.  This kid has grown a strong will since turning two.  And mind of his own.  Wow.  I was hoping maybe it would just be Gemma.  Oh well, I'm sure it will serve him well some day, if it doesn't drive me to insanity first.
• He loves doing whatever big sis is doing. 
• He has actually slept through the night, in his own bed, several times in the past month.  Not too regularly, but he's done it nonetheless!  And his nights have really gotten so much better, he often doesn't crawl in bed with us until 5:30 or 6:00 AM.  It works.  We'll see how things go once he starts sharing a room with Gemma (on the "to do"  list here in the near future) and even more so once baby arrives... 
• He recently cut his first 2yr molar.  I'm hoping the others are not too far behind and we can get this teething thing out of the way with him.  Before it's time to do it again with the baby.  Oh teething. 
• Kolbe weighs 29 lbs.

Aaron is doing well.  The nice, early spring has given him a chance to (for the most part) revive the yard after last summer's horribleness, and he has plans to refinish the deck in the coming months.  Next time I do an update there will probably be a third child (outside utero) on whom to update!!  For now, baby is doing well as is mama, although it is beginning to be more and more obvious that I've hit the third trimester.  Time really is flying!!  We are set with cloth diapers and other baby supplies, and I feel like I have enough boy or girl clothes (even though this baby is "off-season") to get us started, so we really are ready.  Just trying to mentally prepare myself for labor and delivery now.  I know it's still several months off, but those thoughts are definitely beginning to creep into my mind.  Like I said, time flies.  I recently did my first sewing project for the baby -- a light-weight receiving blanket -- so I'll end with a picture of that.

Issues

I try to keep this blog "light" and not make it too much a platform for some of today's heavier social issues, but every once in awhile I feel strongly enough about something that I just can't resist.  ;-D  So there's my little disclaimer.

Recently (past year or so) I've come across various circumstances that have led me to really take an interest in bio-ethical issues, especially those that relate to the medical field.  I don't claim to know everything.  I don't even claim to know a lot, but I continue to learn so very much; and more importantly I have come into contact with some wonderful people and organizations that have opened numerous doors to me when it comes to raising awareness regarding these important issues.

Sadly, most of what I learn in regards to bioethics in medicine is nothing short of shocking or appalling.  Or both.  And I will admit, this is coming from the perspective of someone who: a.) tends to approach health and wellness from a more natural perspective than "mainstream medicine", and b.) has deep moral convictions when it comes to ethical issues.  So that would be my 'bias' if you will; but alas these are the factors that help form my perceptions and thoughts on these weighty issues.  And now you know.

I give you such a preface in order to share an article published earlier this week at MercatorNet, and then today on Catholic Exchange. (Click either link, both articles are the same despite their differing titles.)  This article deals with the steep rise in autism rates in the US (and various other countries) over the past 20 or so years, and the potential implication of the bio-tech industry when it comes to this remarkable rise.  I'd say more here, but really, if your interest is piqued by what I've said thus far please just take the time to read the article. It is lengthy, but well-done and well-worth the read.  You can also (along the same vein) take a look at Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute and some of the work and research Dr. Theresa Deisher has done recently.  It is truly edifying to see others -- especially those in the fields of medicine and science -- taking such a proactive approach to these serious issues.  People like Dr. Deisher -- who are willing to put on the line not only their professional reputations, but also their ability to receive research funding and grants in order to provide ethical research and products to those who care so deeply about the health of body and soul of our society -- deserve our attention and support.

Favorite Easter picture books

I checked out a handful of books from the library to add to those we have on-hand at home for Holy Week and Easter Week, and I was very pleased with some of the titles we found and wanted to share here.

The Saving Name of God the Son (board book - ours):  Beautiful artwork by Fra Angelico depicting the Life of Christ from the Annunciation to the Ascension.

The Story of Easter (carry-me-along board book - ours):  Can't beat the St. Joseph's picture books.  Really.

My First Pictures of Easter (board book - ours): Great board book with numerous pictures and few words depicting the last week of Christ's life on earth.

Love One Another: The Last Days of Jesus (library copy):  Story of Jesus public ministry, death and Resurrection.  Good for toddlers and young children.  Artwork is interesting.  Different in a good way.  Very colorful and almost Germanic looking, if that makes sense??

The Road to Easter Day (ours): The last week of Jesus' life on earth through the eyes of "Ben", a young boy in Jerusalem.  Cute and good but nothing special.

The Easter Story (paperback from Scholastic - ours): Definitely nothing special, I'm glad it was cheap.  Glosses completely over the Crucifixion which drives me crazy.  No, kids don't need the Mel Gibson version of the Passion and Death, but I believe it can be dealt with in an honest and age-appropriate way.  I mean heavens, we have crucifixes in most of the rooms of our house!  Maybe I should get rid of it, but the story is simple enough for a very young child which is nice.  Still...

The Legend of the Three Trees (ours): Great allegory about three trees with big dreams that end up playing a bigger part in History than they could ever imagine.  I also have The Proud Tree, which is similar but geared toward an older audience.

The Light of the World (library copy): This book starts with Jesus' birth (which I thought was cool) and then picks up with His public ministry.  It really is very good; detailed and explains things well and at the level of a young child.  As the title implies, it focuses a lot on "light".  My main issue was how the author dealt with the Last Supper, saying, "This bread is like my body," in reference to the Eucharist.  I realize Catholics are the only ones who believe in the Real Presence, but that is taking a lot of liberties with Scripture in my opinion.  It also spends relatively little time on the Passion and Crucifixion, but touched on it enough that it seemed to fit with the rest of the story.

The Story of the Easter Robin (library copy): This one went on my Amazon wishlist the minute I read it.  It is a beautiful legend about spring, new life and how the robin got its red breast.  This one gets five stars for sure...maybe six. ;-D

Mortimer's First Garden (library copy): This was a leftover from "S"/Spring week that I kept for another week because I liked how it talked about miracles, particularly about the seed that was in the ground for three days and then rose.  I thought it fit.  And the kids liked it a lot.

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith (library copy):  The story of the last week of Jesus' life on earth as seen through the donkey on whom he rode into Jerusalem. Very nice, great, colorful illustrations.  Does a good job at depicting the Last Supper as well which is always a bonus.  I can see purchasing this at some point.

If Jesus Came to My House (library copy): Another one I would like own.  I reviewed it some time ago HERE.  This book is really, really great.  If you haven't read it to your kids, you should definitely check it out. It might even make you tear-up a bit.  But then, I'm pregnant so maybe it's just me.  ;-D

The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible: The Easter Story (DVD - ours):  I got a tip on this from Lacy at Catholic Icing and bought it on a whim (since it was less than $4.00 shipped when I got it).  I watched it with the kids several times and we really like it.  The animation is nothing special, but the story is very well told (it is taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark and stays pretty true to the Bible); the Last Supper is wonderfully done, and the Crucifixion is dealt with in an age-appropriate manner with which I was very pleased.  This was very thought-provoking for Gemma, she asked lots of questions, and I know we will pull it out each Lent.

That's all for now.  Please add your suggestions in the comments, I'd love to come up with more for next year!  And check out other great ideas for celebrating Easter over at Catholic Icing's First Friday Link-up!!

Happy Easter 2012

Happy Easter!

He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia!!

Morning routine

We've followed the same routine around here in the morning for quite some time now, but just recently I have started encountering a bit more resistance from Gemma when it comes to getting things done.  She is doing great at dressing herself and making her bed and such on her own, which I think is a very good thing especially with a baby on the way.  It was getting to the point where I was having to do wayyyyy too much reminding and nagging and helping to get everything done in a prompt (enough) manner.  I decided to make a "chore chart" of sorts to hang beside the door in Gemma's (soon to be Gemma and Kolbe's) room and this has made all the difference.  It really helps her keep on task, and since I drew pictures (don't laugh) she's able to "read" it on her own and mostly make it through things without too much prompting or help.  Some days are better than others, but overall this was definitely a positive addition to our morning routine.