I walk away for one minute...

and this happens

Teen Mom

This show is one of my guilty pleasures. MTV got me hooked with 16 and Pregnant and I continued watching the girls on Teen Mom. I haven't watched the other seasons of 16 and Pregnant and now there is Teen Mom 2 which I am still on the fence about, but the first four girls have a special place in my heart. In the first year of the babies lives there have been engagements and breakups, domestic violence, financial troubles, school issues, moving, and custody battles. I feel for these girls. Two of the girls just seem like they were destined to be in this situation. Amber was involved in domestic violence several times when she repeatedly punched, shoved, and kicked her boyfriend. We don't really know much about her family except she has a father who is sick, but seems pretty normal and her brother is deployed overseas. I am very certain that she is bi-polar. If I remember correctly from the show she is on three anti-depressants but I think she really needs anger management. Caitlyn gave her baby up for adoption and her mother still hasn't accepted it. At every turn her mother is screaming and swearing at her. The baby's father has a supportive mother but his father is a drug addict who is always in jail(and is also Caitlyn's step-father).

 Farrah is a spoiled brat who got punched in the mouth by her mother and a whole legal battle ensued. I don't condone hitting but I understand her mother's frustrations. Now that Farrah has had financial problems she has moved rent-free into her parent's rental house across the street. Maci is the only one who seems to come from a normal family but she is always chasing a guy.

 Anyway, I will get to my point. There is a lot of criticism saying this show "glamorizes" teen pregnancy. I was pregnant with my son when these shows come out and he is about the same age as the babies in the show. I watched in horror as these girls when through the hardest times in their young lives. I was 23 when Michael was born and I felt too young to have that responsibility. If it weren't for the show most of these girls wouldn't be able to support their children. They have gone through more tragedy and heartache in two short years than most people do their whole lives.

 Here is an article talking about how teens are getting pregnant to be on the show. This is a parenting problem, not MTV's fault. I cannot imagine seeing these shows as a 16 year old and wanting to get pregnant.

Kim Kardashian tweeted  "I saw a story about a Memphis high school where 90 young female students were either pregnant or have given birth this year! I just couldn’t believe this and I find it so sad and disturbing. It seems that shows like Teen Mom are all of a sudden making teen pregnancy seem cool in the eyes of young girls...but girls, these are not people you should idolize!"

Amber from Teen Mom told E!   “There’s actually a study that shows since the original 16 and Pregnant aired, the number of teen pregnancies have gone down ... the show reveals how hard it is for all of us. It doesn’t glamorize anything! It shows the heartache we’ve all gone through.” 

 I don't  know who we should believe on that topic but I believe this show can be a really good lesson to girls out there. Maybe you will be famous for being 16 and Pregnant but your whole life will change at 16. You will no longer be a teenager, you will be a mom. These girls had to finish high school quickly before they had their babies, or in some cases haven't finished and might never get a GED. They have jobs and bills and all the responsibilities that their parents have but at 16.  And for the parents, I would hope we will all teach our children the consequences of teen pregnancy and that while we shouldn't demonize these girls, they are not what you should aspire to be like.

I can't believe how fast he is growing.

Michael will be 18 months old on February 2nd. He is so smart and funny. He takes all of my spoons out of the drawers, tries to open the front door, loves cartoons, learned to say no to everything, gives sloppy kisses and is just a joy to be around.

Last year at this time...

Now...

Daddy and Me.

 

Crockpot Brown Rice Risotto

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup parmesan cheese

Mix everything int he crockpot except the cheese. Cook on low 4 hours. You may need to add more liquid. When it is done cooking stir in the parmesan cheese.

This is a really hearty and low calorie dish(222 calories a serving). This recipe makes enough for an army, but it is great heated up the next day for lunch. You can stir also stir in some cooked chicken and vegetables and have a one pot meal.

Finally a Moment to Breath...

Things have been crazy here lately. Michael has been getting teeth so he is extra clingy. On top of that he got a stomach virus on Sunday night and the whole family has passed it around since then. I got sick Monday night and am just starting to feel normal again. Somehow I messed up our checkbook so we haven't been doing much. John has been working extra to make up the money and he has been working on his old truck a lot. We have been a one car family for a long time now and it is getting annoying. Tuesday we are having another play date at Seabase and hopefully I can get a play date set up with my new mom's group. Even though people have lived in PA their whole lives they are still afraid to drive in the snow, so a lot of things have been cancelled. Lately I have been thinking about making soap to try to sell at craft shows. I'm hoping that I have a lot of interesting things to blog about in the coming months. Now that the sicknesses all seem to be over I will try to post more often.

Thanks to everyone who follows me! Please don't hesitate to comment. That's how people know I have followers! HAHA

Pumpkin and Raisin Bread French Toast.

I sort of stole this idea from Cookin' With Super Pickle.

 I was only making this for John, Michael, and I so I only made four slices. It's really simple so you can make as much as you want.

 First slice a loaf of pumpkin raisin bread. I will add the recipe later.












Beat 3 eggs and 1 cup of milk in a baking dish. Let the bread sit in the egg mixture for a minute on each side.
Then cook the bread just like you would regular french toast in a hot, greased skillet.

And Ta-Da! A super good, but not so healthy breakfast!