Saturday, March 27, 2010

Health Care Bill Establishes a Right to Pump at Work in the Entire US!

  • Whatever you think of the health care bill passed by Congress the other day, you may be pleased to hear that the bill extends a right to pump at work to moms in every state. Some states, such as California and New York, already have such a law, but most don't.
  • Well...I've long since been done with pumping. I did breast feed two kids, while I worked full time.
  • I had to make up all my pump time with shortened lunches on top of pumping during lunch, I also took work home with me to make up time. Time that I didn't have, but had to make due.
  • With my first experience I hit some rocky times in the work place. There was a communication glitch that got worked out, but at the time seemed horrible.
  • With my second child I had two people try and open the door while I was pumping even though I had a sign taped to the door. There are barely any offices that have doors that lock at my work. I almost had a whole tour join me in the room where I was pumping.
  • I don't have an office with a door at all, so I always had to use someone else's office to pump.
  • The new health bill in regards to nursing would still have not worked in my favor because my work has less then 50 workers.
  • I just found out that the new health bill would require employers of 50 or more employees to:

...provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to do so. The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk. An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee for any work time spent for such purpose.

  • I'm not thrilled that it extends the right for only up to 1 year (I pumped longer for my son's), and why only work places of 50 + workers? I am thrilled about the difference this would make for mothers in the many states, mine included, that do not extend this right under state law!

Destructionalist

  • Mica's been HUGE into building things with Duplo's, and Isaak keeps wrecking Mica's masterpieces.
  • This is the first act of destruction I caught on video.

IDick

  • Isaak's been saying his name for a few weeks now. Instead of saying Isaak, he says, "Idick".
  • I had a chuckle over his version of Isaak a few times.

Shouting Saturday

  • I wanted to get a picture of the boy's together. Mica kept shouting, and Isaak was laughing at him. This is typical for around here.
  • Easter Bunny

    • I took the boy's to the mall to get a picture with the Easter Bunny.
    • Mica was really excited!
    • Isaak acted as if he could care less.
    • Mica wanted a picture inside a plastic tree in the Build a Bear shop.

    Clock Tower

    • Daddy and Mica made a clock tower out of Duplo's. Mica was so excited!
    • Daddy must of told Mica all about Big Ben because that is what Mica kept on calling his clock tower.
    • Daddy drew the clock on thin cardboard, which he cut into a circle to pop into place.
    • Little brother Isaak almost knocked down the clock tower a few times.

    Shuttle Imagination

    • Mommy Mandy is giving away The Creation Cottage $59.95 or Shuttle Imagination $69.95 by Cardboard Playhouse.
    • We have built some elaborate play houses out of cardboard in my lifetime.
    • Grandpa Spiehs is an artist and helped me me build playhouses out of cardboard when I was a kid. He'd do the cutting, and we'd do the coloring.
    • I took a class in college where we built things out of cardboard, including boats that we had to make float.
    • Then I built Mica and his cousin Evan a town home to play in when they were little. We really haven't had a big box in this house since that time.
    • To think that my father, Grandpa Spiehs could of made $60 off of his cardboard cut out houses. I guess it's understandable since they did take awhile to make.

    Friday, March 26, 2010

    Got Luggage?

    Soap and Detergent Association

    Thursday, March 25, 2010

    Art Easel

    I'm Smiling Mom, so Take My Picture

    • Mica said, "Mommy take my photo, I'm smiling".
    • Daddy grabbed the camera. Mica had a few great smiles, but would not hold still.

    Kansas City Trip

    • It was a nice day. A little windy though.
    • I got a few crazy pictures of my students.
    • One person decided to join our photo when he didn't go to our school. It was fun for the student's to have him join.
    • We had 44 students with us and 2 teachers.

    Wednesday, March 24, 2010

    Kansas City Here I Come

    • I'm going to Kansas City tomorrow along with another teacher and our college students.
    • It should be fun! I only hope that we do not lose anyone. There's sometimes one student that decides to venture off, and it scares me! It would be one thing if they knew where they were going, were from the area and we weren't their transportation back!
    • We take a coach bus and go to Barkley (an advertising agency) and to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
    • I wish we were going to The Plaza to shop around! ;) Not with the students.

    Hop on Board the Kitchen Chair Train

    • I cleared everything out of the kitchen to sweep and mop.
    • Mica set the chair's up to be like a train.
    • He kept wanting Isaak in his seat, and buckled. Isaak was happy to play along.
    • That was until Isaak wanted a turn to sit in the red chair, Mica then flipped out, "No I'm the Engineer! Mommy, Isaak's trying to sit in the front of the train. That's where I sit!" Isaak fussed of course. I reined in on Mica's parade, and let Isaak have a turn. Mica got to be the engineer the whole time I was cleaning the floor.

    Monday, March 22, 2010

    Thunder Thighs

    • It's always been known that my nephew Elijah is a bit hefty in the buttock's. It doesn't help that he's worn cloth diapers, which adds even more padding to his butt.
    • Aunt Terra made cloth training underpants for him. They wouldn't fit, so she offered to give them to Isaak.
    • Today she went to try them on Isaak, and she couldn't get them up past Isaak's thunder thighs.
    • Elijah may have a bigger butt, but Isaak rules when it comes to his thighs!

    Health Care Reform Good, Bad, or Ugly?

    • Change is good...that's what I hear anyhow.
    • With any change there's kinks.
    • What I do know is that health insurance is a pain now even though it's important to have!
    • Daddy and I both work for small businesses, so we feel the pain.
    • One thing I like about the change is that health insurance companies will cover you for whatever you have (no preexisting conditions). It scares me that one of us could get some kind of cancer, we renew our insurance and they say, "Sorry we can't cover you for that anymore it's a preexisting condition".
    • A lot scares me about the changes too. Anytime the government takes over on something it is a little scary.
    • I hear the new changes will not be in effect until 2014, and republican's will try and stop what they can.
    • Oh how I wish political parties would come together and agree on something. Either that, or have more parties that stood out/more choices and views. This way we could see more of the picture to make a better decision about things.

    Sunday, March 21, 2010

    Lotion Smiles

    • Mica was laying on the couch yesterday. I told him to lift up his shirt, and I proceeded to squirt lotion on his belly button for a nose, two small dots for eye's and added a mouth. He was giggling the whole time.
    • I got done, and Mica asked, "What do I do with the smile Mommy"? I said, "Rub it into you skin".
    • I looked up and Isaak was on the love seat laying down with his shirt up ready for his own lotion smile. :•)

    More Teeth Are Coming

    • Isaak woke up 4 times last night. He wouldn't nap very long today.
    • I mentioned to Daddy to give him some Motrin to help him go to sleep.
    • He went into Isaak's room, and Isaak pointed to his teeth. More teeth are coming.
    • We can't feel anything on his gum's yet.

    I Don't Think I Smell Like Boy!

    • Whenever it's time to give Mica a bath and he doesn't want to take one; I tell him, "Mica, I think I smell boy, so you need to take a bath."
    • He told me today as he lifted up his shirt, "Mommy, I don't think I smell like boy. I don't need to take a bath."
    • I think he just doesn't want to stop playing. Once he's in the bath, he doesn't want to stop taking one of those either.

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