So much happening...

Where to begin and how to end? What to share and who to tell about?

Sugar Daddy is at the ER with our J-bug, she fell. I have been telling her for a couple weeks to STOP spinning in the living room. She probably will now... When I was 4, I fell into the corner of a TV. I can still just barely make out the scar on my forehead, about where hers will be.

This is the 3rd ER visit in 5 days. This is life with 4 kids. Well, at least, thanks to Facebook (and my constant updates to it)- my friends gave valuable feedback that resulted in a much better experience for my hubby and eldest middle girl. He took her to Millers (Long Beach Children's Memorial). I shall not bring anymore energy to the re-telling of my 8 hour ordeal with my 3 month old, M-cube, on Saturday OR the second 4 hour one on Monday.

This is hard. It sometimes totally sucks. (Love what Danielle LaPort says about a little commiseration)

Thank goodness for my Cuppow Lid. Now I can use my mason jar for all my favorite travelling beverages. Because I am always on the go and I never get enough sleep so my iced coffee cubes (original post on my inspiration from Pinterest is here) come in handy and this lid is the perfect way to keep it all contained. Now how do I keep a lid on my hot emotions?

Also been loving my coconut oil for skin that is dry from too much wetness. Does that even make sense?

Oh and we started "school" this week- our not back to school breakfast was a bit of a bust this time around, but my resourceful and smart 5th grader saved the day with a simple, no fuss alternative. Instead of building waffle houses the kids had Rice Krispies with blueberries and whipped cream.

Being a "mom" to 4 small human beings is the most challenging thing I have ever done.

The need for sanity (and yoga mom revolution yogini, Laura Jane) led me to a group on Facebook called the Abundance Game, which steered me to a fantastic little App on my Android called Wechat, and that has given  me such pleasure- being able to connect with amazing people. They have helped me see that I am stronger and more resilient every day. I am an effective leader and I inspire my children to become their most authentic selves and to love themselves and their community. I am a valuable part of my community and I enjoy close friendships with other women who are raising their children in our "tribe".

Oh yeah and did I mention I was peaceful and happy at the dentist where I had to go for a broken filling today? My dentist is the coolest, not so bad on the eyes, most patient, gentle and explanatory dental professional around. He's in Costa Mesa is you need him. Dr Eric Vanek.

Now for something totally cool. I got invited to a screening for mombloggers and am going to be joining 40 other bloggers for a PR campaign through the Circle of Moms network... It sounds totally amazing!

Being in the moment. Letting the now unfold. Focusing on the simple joys of the present draw for my attention and how to choose the actions that support peace, happiness and following our highest excitement. Recognizing that I attract my own reality.


And I'll wrap up this ramble with a little suggestion for family fun. Penny Pitching. It is such a wonderful feeling to share parts of our own childhood with our kids. This one really drew in the whole family. I snazzed it up a bit from what we did when I was a kid of course, we are homeschoolers after all!! We included tape, a ruler and several ways to "win"...

Getting all political on you!

 Those of you who (thank you!) regularly read my blog know that I don't often get into politics- life is stressful enough without trying to figure out which liberties (other than to a night of sleep) and what laws (other than those of gravity vs a toddler atop a play structure) are being violated and which are moving mankind forward.

This whole BART vs the tower of cell service issue has my panties in a bit of a wad. We as a society expect our government to act on any information they receive to keep us safe, but when they do something to inconvenience us in the process we suddenly call it a violation of our human rights. When did our digital extension of ourselves become entitled to an immediate gratification of any and all expressions?

The protesters who gathered in response to the decision to cut cell service- I mean really folks, that is all we are talking about, nobody in particular was silenced, a mouse could have nibbled the wires and caused the same effect- but those who gathered the next day obviously had ample time to go down and protest on the platforms- they kept families apart, made employees late, and interfered more in the general operations of this PUBLIC transportation system than the slight inconvenience caused by BART when they cut power to a cell tower. A cell tower that resides on their property and is leased by a private provider that charges the general public far too much to use...

And who is to say that a catastrophe was not averted? Two groups were planning a flash mob style protest, and when you get a bunch of youth together via instant message- well the rioting in London comes to mind. If I and my children were depending on public transportation and a group of passionate, masked, youth who had recently hacked and released personal information of 2000 innocent riders of the transit system were due to descend upon the platform we waited upon- I would say, shut my fucking iPhone off, man. (ok it's true I use an Android device, but iPhone just sounded better)...

Now once again, gentle readers, those of you who regularly read me know I am not one for profanity. But I, obviously the first to defend freedom of speech, my absolute favorite thing- am appalled at the sensationalistic tactics of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who the hell are they, anyway? (I must clearly state that next week it is totally possible that I will be promoting and defending them at all cost, because- I really don't know who the hell they are...)

People want to get all up in arms because they THINK they are being suppressed, because our pop culture media tells us so. Well in this case, I don't think so. But that is just my humble, and probably half informed opinion- because to be honest I only had moments to read about the FACTS- between diaper changes and discussions of why we have to wear panties in public, and questions about marine life seen at the CSULB Hall of Science today, where I was free to educate my child as I see fit.

All in all, I am pretty freaking disappointed in the government that I am aware of- but sometimes I wonder what truly important things I am being distracted from. It is a well known tactic of those in power to fuel a small fire in order to call attention away from a truly important discovery or idea. That is history. Fed to us by the victors.

Anyone still need an invite to Google+, apparently I have 142 left.... happy Tuesday to everyone from a mama who overdrafted her bank account today,  hasn't washed her hair in 31 days, locked her keys in her car, saw that she gained 4 lbs, and is currently locked in her bedroom allowing her incredible, amazing, Sugar Daddy to put the little buggers to bed.

Yoga tomorrow morning? The universe is perfect.

Social Circles

So the whole Facebook vs Google+ debate is in full scale heightened media frenzy- and they are neck&neck in shamelessly promoting- each other!

So here goes, randomly jumping betwixt the two, here's what I see...

On Facebook we are either Friends or not. And you have to accept my request to confirm that relationship.

With Google+ I can add people to circles and they don't have to add me back- I have created circles like "random", "Flavor of the Minute", "Inner Circle", "Music Appreciators", "My Main Mamas", "PCA's" etc... this way I can easily share the stuff that is effortlessly (automatically) uploaded from my Android device, like photos & videos. (*Pop Culture Addicts)

On Facebook I can  update my status, upload photos, share links, videos (after a lengthy upload) and categorize my Friends, as well as comment on their status updates, see their latest pics and invite them to Events.

With Google+, sharing what's new... photos... links I like... and even my location is highly selective, enabling me to quickly share with my Inner Circle anytime the baby does something cute. While just as superfast-ly I can share something with the Public from my (Google) Docs, Calendar, Reader or searches. Or I can share pretty much anything with people who choose to still use that old fashioned communication method, (e-mail) -once they are in a Circle they are included where they Google+ or not- very cool!)

On Facebook I Like things- witty quips, funny photos & fascinating facts. I can also Like businesses and blogs and bands and other such organizations. Then they will Feed me with their Most Recent News.

With Google+ there is some sort of score being kept, and I get to add a +1 whenever something strikes my fancy [insert Vegas slot machine noises here]. A Stream of information appears from all my Circles or just the ones I click on. And in place of a bunch of awkward apps are some Sparks- information about my interests!

On Facebook... is where my Friends are, so there I shall stay. But every day my Circles grow!

With Google+, you should be. (Yoda says so apparently.)

I'm IN!

Google Plus.

Who's in, who wants in, who cares?

Me! I must admit I find it thrilling to be in so early, but it feels a bit like Facebook did for the first 3-4 months when I joined, a year after it opened up for anyone with an email address. We all sorta saw something, but wondered what the heck the point was... and then there was a shift and suddenly I was addicted. What happened?

People I sorta new in real life became my Friends and suddenly I felt more connected to the social tapestry. Old high school buddies are certainly fun to reconnect with, but the magic of Facebook is it's ability to infiltrate actual, current social networks- their events, photos and thoughts are broadcast for all to see... and the rest of their world, too!

Google+ allows more control over what you broadcast to the world, allowing you to quickly and easily choose who sees, knows (and can comment on) what!

Plus it automatically loads my photos taken with my Android- now that is COOL!!! Now I am wondering if the calendar integrates easily for events to be shared, now that would be uber-fantastic!

So I guess I wait for everyone to come on over to Google+.


Will it eventually replace Facebook?


Or will I just be twice as distracted now?


The click and drag features are smooth. Nice.


What do you think of Google+, had you heard of it? Will (or have) you join(ed)?


Can anyone and everyone get in now?

Settling in, belonging

Homeschool support groups are so amazing!

They welcome you in, "Like" you, share their lives, beliefs, kittens, birthdays, food, homes, businesses, sweaters, experiences and sunny days. Since our move we have been to several new park days- we have made new friends, and met people we have "Like"d for years.

G-pie has made new friends: sweet, generous, accepting girls- who "appreciate" that she has changed her name recently! They have so heartily welcomed and included her, quickly and with a curious and genuine nature. C-dough and J-cakes have initially stayed close at the 4 new parks we have visited over the last couple of weeks- but have confidently ventured off in search of events as they sensed the comfort mama felt among like minded families and inviting environments.

Belonging is not the same as "fitting in"- we belong here, no need to try and fit in.

So this is what "doing what you love" means...

Today as I was avoiding Facebook, I spent time training for my new position as an Instructor with the Signing Time Academy. The added benefit for me was that J-cakes is in toddler heaven. 17 repetitions of the Diaper Dance don't bother her a bit.





She spent the evening singing "Hi, hi it's nice to meet you" and all morning belting out "These are the kids I love" (she hasn't caught that it actually says "these are the pets I love"!) and she is super excited that we are all signing again.


As a middle child I worry that she gets sandwiched in, way too often. And making the decision to  work outside the home, even just part time, had me worried that would make her slice even thinner, but I am pleasantly surprised to rediscover my little blond beauty- an almost 3 year old with lots to share.


With the constant commentary and curious criticisms streaming from my 8 year old all day, I thought J-cakes was going to have to fight to get a word in. Not only does, she but her words are bright, funny, smart and charming. She has her sister to thank for her sparkling communication skills.


G-pie helped to teach her baby sign language, while she herself was learning to read using the reference book to look up signs. J-cakes is a living testimony to the studies that have shown an increased vocabulary in children who have signed as infants. 


Let's see... today is the 13th, so that means I have been Facebook free for 13 days. It doesn't feel so strange anymore. I don't feel disconnected. Honestly I feel more connected to my family and the path I am on.

Wasabi Nori Facebook Connection

OK so why is it, that at 9:32 on Wednesday night as I am faced with surmountable tasks (updating my new website to reflect the fact that I am now a certified Instructor with Signing Time Academy, returning e-mails and posting checks for homeschool events and activities, uploading those pictures from Disneyland, learning how to make t-shirts cooler with plastic bags...) I am suddenly struck with the desire to update my status to inform Facebook at large that I am eating and immensely enjoying Wasabi Nori that I got at Mother's Market.

You may be asking yourself, now why didn't barefootOCmama feel the need to tell us when she ate the string cheese and pretzels for dinner? What is so cool about Wasabi Nori that it warrants it's own status update? Obviously I "Like" the fact that I am eating Wasabi Nori, and think that my Friends will "Like" it too, and may even Comment on it...

Today my father asked my why I was off Facebook... for just a beat, I wasn't sure I knew the answer. Why not? Because Facebook is HUGE and we all just nonchalantly go about our lives commenting and liking... (a whole 'nother query of mine: has Facebook made us more positive as we try to shine and polish the bits of our life into entertainment for others?). But the truth is..

It is a bit of a gimmick. I want attention. I am stepping out into a new venture, it is something I am excited about. I want to tell the world. I wanted to do something different- everybody Facebooks about their new business, I wanted to anti-Facebook mine.

Do you know and love a baby or toddler who you want to communicate with? I can help.

www.learningbarefoot.com

Now it is not that I am anti-Faceboook. My new web interface seems a bit one sided, I have much less feedback in the blog-o-sphere, than I did with in the safe confines of my "Friends" over at Facebook. Today I even considered that only blogging is a bit narcissistic. I am curious what everyone is up to...

Just like I used to be in college, when I should have been in my dorm room or the library studying and I was off in the commons checking out what everyone else was up to. Makes me really want to go see that movie!

Wipe-out!

Oh that insipid Facebook!!

Like a true co-dependent, I am finding that I cannot truly be Facebook free! I went to a new site (JumpStart) for G-pie to play some math games on, and there was this long Registration Page, that would no doubt be auto-filled for me as I tabbed through the fields, but then- there at the bottom I saw a familiar blue button that said "Connect with Facebook". I did it.

Not actually breaking my own rule of logging in, just using Facebook to log in to another site. And that is how the justifications begin. It is so much better to surf the internet with Facebook.

Facebook is to the internet, as sex wax is to the long board.

But as a mother of three I just don't have the time for sex wax these days. I just want to paddle on out and hang ten! So I have been slipping & sliding around the internet since I have been (mostly) Facebook -free. One of my favorite new-ish developments is the multimedia content. I completed another lesson in my ASL class (www.signingonline.com) today. It amazes me that I can even take these classes on my Droid smart phone. So instead of checking Facebook from a park while waiting for G-pie at Ronni Rowland's writing class, I learned more ASL.

Another amazing and awesome thing about the internet is of course another fairly recent development: cloud computing. I personally love Google for pretty much everything (except pictures, Flickr is tried and true)- Docs, Mail, Calendar, maps. Everything I need can chill online, so I can get to it from anywhere. Totally tubular.

Google also has a very user friendly new toy- Google Sites, so I built a website. Wanna see it? www.learningbarefoot.com It was fun and easy, and soon everyone will be doing it. Toes on the noes, man, toes on the nose...

Almost 5 days Facebook free. All is well.

Just saw this...


And yesterday received this comment from a dear woman...


"You gotta do what you gotta do, Tiffany. I have considered dropping off the facebook universe many, many times. But each time, I come to the same conclusion: I need facebook like I need air. Like I need water. Like I need chocolate. I am not naturally social. For all of my pre-facebook adult life I struggled with depression and loneliness and a general feeling of disconnect from the world around me. I had no way to regularly keep up with my family who was scattered, literally, all over the planet. I didn't have any close friends because my kids kept me too busy for social visits, and I tallking on the phone makes me nervous. l would read friends' blogs, but even that left me unsatisfied. People tend to only blog the very interesting or impressive bits of their lives. I would view the photos of their perfect looking children and hear about their fabulous vacations and get even more depressed. Facebook has given me an insight into human nature that I never had before. Suddenly I was reading about real people dealing with the very same challenges I was on a daily basis. Their lives became less of a fantasy to me, and I started to really understand human nature in a new and exciting way. Yes, it can be a giant time-suck. But I find that the times when I am most desperately searching for someone to talk to are the times when I most need to reach out to people, not hide away like I used to. There are those who only present the best of themselves on here. It doesn't take long to see through it. But I find those people are even more fascinating to me, because every once in a while they let go of their perfectionist ways and post something that gives me a glimpse into all they have been trying to hide. They become more human to me, and make me realize that I'm not so different from them after all.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from giving up facebook. You know your needs and those of your family better than anyone else. But if you just can't do it, don't beat yourself up over it. Leaving facebook would be like moving away from a neighborhood where absolutely everyone knows your name. It's a hard thing to let of completely."


Facebook has certainly changed the social landscape, and we are all adjusting to relating to people as we never have before.


G-pie's team, oblivious to my Facebook strike, went on to lose their third game today. What a great bunch of girls- it is so amazing, to watch as my daughter grows through the seasons of her life. 


I am proud of her in so many ways. Today she contributed to an out with a fantastic throw from third to home. I reached for my phone to update Facebook and then just smiled and sat back- and watched as C-dough laughed, the wind tickling his baby hair, and J-cake twirled under a shady tree near by...


All is well.

Facebook withdrawals

Uh-oh, accidental login number 2 already- and this time I stared at the page for just a moment, Marc Petric is up to something... I thought well, I don't know how else to get a hold of moonmonkeymama so I'll just go to her page and post a quick excuse on the wall, Facebook is the only way I am connected to her...

NO!! Just not true, justifications!! Tempting me to read those reviews, notice the notes, flip through the photos, find them with foursquare (ooh can I still use foursquare during my hiatus? a question to ponder...)

Well, with just a moment of thought I realized her website, http://agnosticweddings.com/ would still be in my history. (I had visited it after seeing it on her Facebook Profile, score 1 point for Facebook: useful in providing interesting information on people we know casually). I can pull it up, find contact info and shoot off an e-mail...

OR, even better- if I am to use this hiatus to reconnect to human social skills as is my intent, I could just wait until Monday at the park and talk to her in person! But then she may not have time to fill the space I will be voiding... I will do both!

... and in taking a moment to think about communicating with a real, live, vibrant, whole person, I realize- I need to be totally, completely and with-no-regard-to-judgments-that-may-ensue - honest, about why I can't make it. Score 1 point for not using Facebook as a substitute for human interaction.

I have been Facebook free for less than 24 hours and I can't stop thinking about what I am missing!! 

But during that time I did enjoy creating a cool field journal from recycled materials, helping my daughter build a fairy house, walking up and down Del Mar- just for fun... (we did try San Clemente Smoothie Yogurt Boba and our Pineapple Coconut Smoothie with Boba was good, although a little pricey-if you play foursquare and want to add it to your to-do list, click below)...

I also sketched a picture of a tree with colored pencils, juiced and blended a delicious concoction for the family- and I even cleaned the juicer, as a matter of fact I have a clear counter and shiny sink, Fly Lady would be proud.

All is well. 

San Clemente Smoothie Yogurt Boba

Facebook on Hiatus

Hello my name is barefootOCmama and I am a Facebook-aholic.

This morning I have decided that I need a break from the constant updates, witty comments and endless sharing going on over there. Not so long ago- before my life revolved around logging in and keeping up with "friends", from lurkers to likers, frenemies and family- I used to enjoy just blogging. Finding a way with words to expose my feeling, express my thoughts and (sometimes) enlighten my readers.

But who were those readers, I wondered. Who are you? Facebook tells me- my own little form or market research, I can look up the demographics of my target audience over there. I can find out so much about you- check out your photos, what links do you share, are in you in relationship, how many friends do you have?

And don't even get me started on the mafia wars and farming chores..

Today I begin anew. I will not log in to Facebook again until after Halloween. I am taking the App off my Droid and I am stopping the SMS messages. What will I find to do, how much more time will I have? Will I stop comparing myself to others as much? How will I know what the people I care about are up to? I am most curious to find the answers to these and many others questions.

My last "like" went to a mom who has always put her children and family first- or so it seems from her status updates!! Facebook Free for 1 minute and counting... check back if you want to find out how it feels!!

BTW if you keep a blog, please let me know!