I’m in a weird situation, because I really want a glass of wine when I think about the texture and the flavor and the smell, but then, aside from not having a breast pump, I just realize that I’ll fall straight asleep.
Category: Family
You can’t pick them, but you’ve got to love them. Luckily, loving mine is fairly easy
4th of July: a moral dilemma
Well, today is the 4th of July, which America knows as Independence Day and the rest of the world knows as the 4th of July.
Today presents the first of many moral dilemmas to come for me. Thing is, I’m British – quite proudly so – and I never really “got” or “cared for” American culture, so imagine my quandary when I fell in love with an American and moved here.
That wasn’t too hard to deal with, but now things have become more complicated. By virtue of Ellie being born in America, she is now an American citizen, and will be going to American schools and working with Americans.
Week 1 Baby Essentials
Well, Ellie is now officially one week old. It’s been a little testing at times, but for the most part, it’s just been incredibly fun watching her grow and learning her idiosyncrasies.
There’s been a few things that have really made this first week a lot easier to manage, so I thought I’d write down a few of the things that we just couldn’t do without, so that expectant parents can get a headstart and make their first week a little easier:
Home births are safer than hospital births
It’s nice to see some mainstream media acknowledging that home births are actually safer than hospital births. Being advocates for home birth, and having had one ourselves, Martina and I are very open for discussion if you have any questions about it.
Our experience with Katrina Hollon, Holistic Maternity
We were very excited when we first met and hired Katrina as our midwife. She just fit our personality types very well (laid back, sensible, professional, nature-driven) and we knew that it was a good fit.
Well, here we are now, over 7 months later with a baby in our hands, so I thought I’d write a little about our overall experience.
Katrina was wonderful throughout Martina’s pregnancy. She was always gentle, informative, flexible and friendly. No question was ever too stupid, no concern ever too trivial and no need ever unmet.
Ellie Grace Clements
On Tuesday, my life was turned upside down by the birth of my beautiful daughter, Ellie Grace Clements. I couldn’t be more in love right now.
Intimacy
I think I know why God insists on marriage before sex: it’s not so much that you need a lot of intimacy to create a baby, but you sure do need a lot of intimacy to look after your wife before, during and after birth.
Ken Robinson discusses the current state of education
It is always a pleasure to listen to Ken Robinson speak. He’s one of my favourite orators and even though his delivery is very calm and controlled, it always stokes a fire inside of me. In this talk, he discusses the current state of education and how the culture of schools is failing the children that attend them. In particular, the emphasis on standardised testing and “No Child Left Behind” are ironically, leaving millions of children behind.
Insist on changing the current school culture and filling the gaps created by your child’s education: it’s critical to well-rounded children who enjoy learning who go on to be independent thinkers and creators.
Everybody ia a genius
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
-Albert Einstein
A good reminder that our tongues hold immense power. This kind of thinking will drive how Martina & I encourage our children: they will be built-up, not torn down.
Ken Robinson: My idol and his views on education
Ken Robinson is an absolute genius. I remember seeing his first TED talk on a podcast back in about 2006, and it really resonated with me. It became an instant hit and I’ve watched it many times since.
Ken has spent decades looking at education systems worldwide and advising governments on how their education systems are failing so many children, typically in the arts.
I challenge you to watch these videos and not be inspired by his wisdom, humour and challenges. It has made me want to explore my creative side and to set the stage for my unborn daughter to be able to explore her creativity and be what she wishes to be as she grows up.