Tommy's Lemonade Stand

My oldest son had a school project to create a business plan for a lemonade stand. As a 4th grade class, they read The Lemonade War together; it’s about two 4th graders who battle each other with their own lemonade stands. After it was finished they had to learn what it would take to start a business. They researched what supplies would be needed and price the cost of lemons, sugar, and whatever else they wanted to sell at their stand. They researched the cost differences between making lemonade from scratch versus buying a powdered mix and had to figure out what to charge. They had to compare pricing of those supplies between different stores. They researched different ways to advertise and include those costs. They had to make some examples of advertising too (flyers, business cards, social media ads, etc.).

Because this project was assigned while distance learning, his teacher made it optional for kids to actually have a lemonade stand. Quarantine restrictions were loosened a lot last month for us, so my son asked if we could actually do it. Knowing I would be doing a lot of the work, I begrudgingly agreed.

Tommy, foodie that he is, wanted to do scratch-made lemonade, and we used a recipe from Chef Freyka; the chef who taught a cooking class he attended last year at Harmon’s. He wanted to offer add-ons like iced tea to make Arnold Palmers and strawberries for strawberry lemonade.

Lastly, he REALLY wanted to make Brazilian Limeade; a drink that we all love. You can usually order it from Brazilian Steakhouses like Fogo de Chão or Rodizio Grill. This is a link to the recipe we followed. Essentially, 3 whole limes quartered, 1 cup of sugar, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 quart of water. Pulse in a blender for about 10 seconds and then immediately pour through a fine sieve. Pour over ice and enjoy. It’s very refreshing. At some point this summer I’m going to have to see how tasty it is with a shot of rum. Blendtec FTW!

From Costco we bought ten pounds each of lemons and limes, plus a 4lb package of strawberries and 20lbs of ice. From Sam’s Club we bought two 2-gallon beverage containers with a spigot (something I had wanted to buy already). We bought four cans of sweetened condensed milk and a 4lb bag of sugar from Walmart.

The last thing we needed to figure out was a juicer. We had a small, manual citrus juicer, but that was going to be exhausting to juice 20 pounds of fruit. KitchenAid makes a citrus juicer attachment that fits their mixers, but I really didn’t want to spend $30-$35 on one not knowing how often we’d use it. It’s great for when you need to juice 50 lemons, but not needed when you only need to juice a few.

Then we got lucky. While looking through small appliances at a Walmart, Tommy spotted the KitchenAid juicer on a high shelf. He scanned it and discovered it was only $5. I thought for sure it would be a mistake, but it wasn’t. Score!

We already had a 10’ canopy, a folding table, a table cloth, and chairs, and we already had a Costco-sized package of Solo cups. I graciously contributed my graphic design skills to help create a couple of signs, which we shared on social media. I forgot to get a photo, but Tommy drew on a large piece of foam board and it was staked into the ground at the end of our street.

It turned out to be a really fun day. Tommy sold out of lemonade after about three hours and we almost sold out of Brazilian limeade too. Neighbors and friends stopped by, even Tommy’s teacher was able come for a quick visit. A few friends and family who don’t live local sent money through Venmo too.

After we figured the cost of fruit, ice, the juicer, sugar, and cups, he still ended up making a profit. I included the juicer and cups because he wants to do this lemonade stand a few more times this summer and those are items he won’t have to buy again and I wouldn’t have purchased them otherwise. So the next time he does this, his expenses should be less.

Of course, we also talked about expenses that he didn’t have to pay for this time like furniture, insurance, federal and state taxes, rental fees for the space, actually paying Mom her graphic design fees and he learned a little bit about what it takes to build a business.

DIY Bookmark

We're all going through such a unique time in our history and we're all doing our best to stay sane and safe. One thing my family has really ramped up while in quarantine is reading. My kids are spending more time reading (sometimes with a fight, sometimes without), and so have I. Even if that means I set up hammocks in the backyard to ensure extreme reading comfort when the weather is beautiful.

Please enjoy this printable DIY bookmark that I created for you and your kids. I designed it for the parenting website I co-founded that’s currently going through a redesign. I will share it there once I have it back up and running.

Most big kids will be able to do this by themselves. Younger kids may need a little help. My 10yo could do it all on his own, my 6yo needed a little help cutting out the teeth. Feel free to share on Instagram and tag me, @alextebowdesigns and also tell me what your favorite book is or what you’re currently reading.

Supplies needed:

• A printer

• Paper or card stock

• Scissors

• Glue stick

• Favorite book

Step 1: Download and print the page with a color printer. Your bookmark will probably last longer if you can print on card stock, but use what you have. Photo paper will work too. Download the file here.

My 6yo and his smirk, hahahah

Step 2: Cut out a bookmark with scissors. My 6yo was able to cut this out by himself with a little help needed to cut out the teeth. 

Step 3: On one bookmark, fold the teeth triangle to the square’s center. Then fold the eyes triangle to the square’s center. 

Step 4:  Apply glue to the back of the eyes triangle and place it back over the teeth triangle. Let the glue dry. A simple glue stick worked great. Some white glue may take a longer to dry.

Step 5: Find a comfy place to sit with your favorite book and use your bookmark to save your spot. Or go sit in a book corner with your book corner! 

Feel free to share on Instagram and tag me @alextebowdesigns and tell me what your favorite book is right now. My 6yo says that Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio is his current favorite. My 10.5yo’s favorite book right now is Major Impossible by Nathan Hale. I’m currently rereading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher in anticipation of TWO new books coming out this summer.

What are you currently reading?

Thankfulness and Quarantine

We hit the 6 week mark since our schools closed and they will remain closed through the rest of the school year. This makes me sad because my boys have really awesome teachers this year and this was the first school year where I was actually able to volunteer more in their classes. But I understand and I’m not complaining, just sad. I can only hope that the hot summer climate and folks continuing to maintain social distance will allow us to go back to school in August and not have to start a new school year virtually.

I know that we are tremendously lucky in that my husband still has a job and I am able to continue to do freelance work from home. I’m grateful that I am able to be home to help my kids figure out online schooling and that I never got rid of my old MacBookPro, so both of my kids can have their own designated school space. I’m grateful for Google Classroom and for our amazing teachers and how they have moved curriculum online almost seamlessly.

I’m thankful that I don’t typically struggle with anxiety when the world isn’t dealing with a pandemic, but I have am definitely having my moments with what’s going on in the world. I have a harder time falling asleep at night and when I do, I dream of things happening to me and my family that I cannot control. I dream of swimming in a lake only to have it suddenly turn into an ocean and waves are coming over my head. I dream of hiking in the mountains and rocks are falling from above us or winds are threatening to blow my kids off the trails. Why is it that in my dreams, it’s Mother Nature who’s out to get us??

Local fishing pond. It hasn’t yet been stocked this spring, so it’s been nearly empty!

We are chugging along, figuring out a new sense of normalcy in this utterly unique time we’re experiencing. Yes, there have been pandemics in the past, but this is the first in this day of instant access to news and social media. I think sometimes it’s a tremendous help. Other times it’s a hinderance. I have had to make a point to stay off of Facebook more than a few days these past weeks just to give my mind and stress levels time to settle.

Here are a few more things I’m thankful for:

· Bicycles - My 6yo got a mountain bike for his birthday so now we can do bikes rides together. We’ve been exploring paved bike paths and trails and getting some exercise that doesn’t involve whining from my kids.

· Watercolors - I’m not sure why, but I’ve been so much more inspired to paint these last couple of months. And thanks to technology, a clip to hold my iPhone, and my son’s encouragement to create a YouTube channel, I have done a couple of time lapse videos of new paintings. I have more in the works (in my head), so stay tuned! I want to make a bunch of picturesque spots on Utah’s BLM and public lands, so that’s been my current research.

· Virtual Taekwondo Classes - We’ve been a taekwondo family for years. My oldest started when he was three (he’s now ten) and my youngest started just a couple months shy of his 2nd birthday. Then I started taking adult classes about two years ago. Martial arts have been amazing for my kids when it comes to agility, focus, and discipline, but for me, it’s the longest-running workout program I’ve ever done since adulthood. Our studio has almost-seamlessly moved all of our classes to Zoom. They’re adapting and changing the curriculum to work with the tools and space that we all have at home and it’s been so nice to be able to keep that evening routine in our family. Between my boys and me, we’re doing 4-5 classes each week. They keep my stress and anxiety manageable and are a welcome bit of near-normalcy.

· Virtual Yoga - My gym closed in mid March where I happily enjoyed spin classes, yoga, and lap swimming. I really miss the swimming and spin, but they’ve created yoga classes I can do at home, any time I want. I’m so, so thankful for them.

· FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Hangout - We sang happy birthday to my niece via Zoom when she turned three and we couldn’t be there for a birthday party. We received multiple videos from family and friends when my youngest celebrated his 6th birthday at home. My oldest read a book to his cousins via FaceTime (and will do it again). My kids chat with friends on Google Hangout or Zoom while they build things in Minecraft together. My husband did a Zoom call with our cousins to share how we make mac n cheese. We regularly FaceTime with my sister, brothers, or my parents and eat dinner together. We chat with cousins who live in other states and countries and this pandemic has brought us closer. My kids’ teachers are using Google Hangout to teach lessons, administer tests (my 6yo went up a reading level, yesss!), and spend time with their students.

· Outdoor Spaces - Since the stay-at-home recommendations came from our governor, all city parks, splash pads, skate parks, and bike parks have closed. There is even caution tape wrapped around pavilions that shade picnic tables. We aren’t technically banned from leaving our neighborhood to explore outside, we’re just advised to maintain social distancing. So a couple of times each week we head out to find some wilderness to play in. We’ve driven past quite a few trailheads and parks to see nearly-full parking lots and just kept on driving. Sometimes we end up at our local fishing pond, where we’ve barely seen anyone there, or we drive an hour or more to a more remote spot to enjoy a picnic lunch, some hammock snuggles, and maybe some fishing if there’s a pond or stream. Even some sand to dig in or trees to climb can be enough to keep my boys happy. In these unique times I am SO thankful for where I live.

· My Mother in Law - My MIL was visiting us from California when shit got serious there and shelter-in-place orders were put in place throughout most of the state. She tried to fly home early on and missed her flight. Since then, we just convinced her to stay here. Our house is small (feeling smaller than ever right now), but she has her own bedroom and bathroom. Best of all, she’s cooking up a storm for us and making both my life and my husband’s life easier because of it. She’s enjoying trying new recipes and experimenting with new methods. Knowing that she’s taking care of dinner helps me not stress about having enough time to get my own work done AND be there to help my kids with virtual school. Her presence also lets me leave the house while my husband is at work and take a little alone time when I need it.

· Hammocks - Just because.

What are you thankful for during this tough time? Any positive things coming from it?

Watercolor, Public Lands, and a YouTube Channel

We’re spending a LOT of time at home these days, so of course my desire to be out hiking in our canyons and in the desert is strong! We are on Spring Break this week and our schools have been closed for three weeks already. With our Spring Break travel plans to California canceled because of the Covid-19 virus, I had this inkling of hope that maybe we could escape to the desert instead. Nope! I read a plea from the director of the hospital in Moab and his explanation of how small his hospital is and how it’s not prepared to handle a pandemic AND the number of annual tourists who flock to the area every spring. I understood completely and was not willing to put the small communities in southern Utah at risk of the virus coming with me. Our annual trip to Arches was canceled and spending Spring Break on BLM land outside of Hurricane was done.

Instead, I’m living vicariously through painting. A few months ago I created a painting of Babylon Arch for Shanti and her Hiking My Way Retreats. I loved how it turned out so I decided to think about all of the beautiful landmarks that reside on BLM/public lands and do a series of paintings of them. Maybe I’ll turn them all into stickers one day, I haven’t gone that far yet. Maybe I can donate proceeds to a nonprofit that fights to protect our glorious public lands?

I will eventually do another painting of Babylon Arch (because it’s awesome and so is the surrounding area), but for now I have Fisher Towers, which is outside of Moab, UT:

A little waterfall on the Red Reef Trail in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwestern Utah:

Both areas are absolutely beautiful to explore. I plan to do another painting from the Red Reef Trail too.

One of my impulse purchases amid this Covid-19 business was a phone holder and light that lets me record time lapse videos of my painting. I learned the very basics of iMovie and, after some coaxing from my 10yo, I started a YouTube channel. Give my channel a visit and maybe a Like here and there.

Alex Tebow Designs

So far I only have a few videos up there, including a video on how I make Bolognese Lasagne, but I plan to add more in the following weeks.

I’m hoping to get more paintings going, especially since Utah is acting like its normal self in the spring and going back and forth between glorious sunshine and gusting wind and rain; maybe even a little snow.

What are some landmarks on public lands that you think I should do next??

My Birth Center Experience

Even before I became pregnant with my second baby, I knew I wanted to go a different route when it came to my prenatal care and birth support team. While my experience with my OB and a hospital in 2009 wasn't awful, I felt I got very lucky with supportive nurses when it came to wanting a drug and intervention-free hospital birth for my first son. 

Disclaimer: I FULLY understand that there are many aspects to childbirth that are outside of my control, but I am also educated in how the U.S. healthcare system notoriously treats pregnant individuals. I am fully aware of my privilege in that that I had more options when it came to my prenatal team that many in this country. I also fully understand that a birth plan is just that: a plan… not set in stone. Just guidelines on my wishes assuming my body and my baby cooperated.

Prenatal care with my OB was fairly typical for the U.S. maternity system. I often waited thirty minutes to an hour after my scheduled appointment time before seeing my OB for a rushed visit. My weight and blood pressure were scrutinized by a nurse and I had only five to ten minutes with my OB each appointment. She never talked to me about nutrition or exercise, and she relied on me to ask questions to spark any conversations about what she recommended. Thankfully, as I became more and more educated, I came to each appointment prepared with questions, but I often felt like my asking questions was an inconvenience for her.

Also, there were five OBs in the practice. I met with all of them at least one time throughout the course of my pregnancy and learned that only three of them were actually going to be supportive of my leave-me-alone-to-labor-without-intervention birth plans. 

I distinctly remember the prenatal visit when I was 34 weeks and we presented our birth plan to my OB (the one I saw most often). My husband joked that it felt like we were watching a teacher grade a test in front of us. :::eye roll::::

She pushed back on a few of the items on our birth plan, but we were prepared for some resistance; especially on me moving freely throughout labor, eating and drinking to maintain my blood sugar and hydration, and preferring intermittent fetal monitoring vs continuous monitoring. We compromised on a few things and I verbally agreed to a couple of things I had no intention of actually following through with.

Some of the things she said about my birth plan should have been red flags: 

"I won't let you suffer in agony for hours without pain medication"

“After your water breaks, I don't want you walking around in case the umbilical cord tries to come out first." 

When I stated I would prefer to tear than to receive an episiotomy she said, "Well, I'm going to cut your perineum if I think you're about to tear up top, by your urethra." Despite those comments, I was naively confident that we would be fine. That OB was on vacation when I went into labor anyway.

The nurses at the hospital were WAY more supportive and never once asked me if I wanted pain meds. They actually took the time to read my birth plan, dimmed the lights, brought me some cranberry juice, and pretty much left my husband and me alone to do our slow-dancing-labor thing. Immediate skin-to-skin bonding for mama and baby was standard practice too. 

When we moved to Utah a few years later and were trying for baby #2, I was afraid we wouldn't get as lucky the second time around. Not wanting to have to interview OBs and research hospitals, or potentially have to find a new OB midway through my pregnancy, I searched for freestanding birth centers in the area. Luckily there was one just twenty minutes from us and that's where our second son, M was born.

It was a completely different experience with my second pregnancy. I have listed some of the biggest and most noticeable differences.

Prenatal Care:

- At my first appointment I sat and chatted with the midwife for almost two hours going over my history; both of us asking questions and getting to know each other. She wanted to know about my pregnancy and birth with TJ and I wanted to know what the criteria would be if complications came up and I "risked out" and had to transfer to an OB. She answered all of my questions thoroughly and never made me feel like she was in a hurry to get to the next patient.

- I turned 35 a few weeks before my first prenatal visit. My midwife noticed and made a point to tell me that I wasn't automatically "high risk" just because I was 35.

- I was due for a pap smear around then too. Given that I'd never had an abnormal pap, my midwife shrugged and said we could wait and do it at my 6-week postpartum visit. My OB insisted I get one when I was 9 weeks pregnant with my first son and it was not pleasant.

- There are toys in the main meeting room at the birth center and there are also a few toys in a drawer of all the exam rooms to keep little ones occupied. When TJ had a random question, my midwife answered him with complete seriousness and even gave the stuffed dog an exam once too. Toward the end of my pregnancy, it was standard procedure for him to get the doppler and measuring tape out of the drawer for her. Once, she even showed him how to find his little brother's heartbeat with a fetoscope. 

- At every appointment, I weighed myself, checked my own blood pressure, and I did my own urine test. It became routine that my son helped me into the blood pressure cuff and pushed the button to start the machine. It made him feel like a part of the process and I liked getting to do all of this on my own. When it was time to test for Group B Strep, I did the swab myself too.

- All blood draws were done by the midwife. I never had to go to a separate lab. With my first pregnancy, the lab was down the street from the OB's office and I always had to wait at least thirty minutes before I was seen, even the few times I had an appointment. I can't imagine having to do that with my antsy preschooler with me. 

- For my glucose test I didn't have to drink the icky, syrupy drink if I didn't want to. I had a list of options that included an Odwalla mango smoothie or a choice of candy bars. Win!

- Nutrition was discussed a lot. The midwives at my birth center truly believe that good nutrition can help stave off a lot of common pregnancy complications. Taking probiotics was also recommended to me to prevent developing a UTI; a pregnancy complication I had during my first pregnancy that landed me in the hospital. I really believe they worked. I never even caught a cold with my second pregnancy, despite it being cold and flu season AND my oldest starting preschool!

- Prenatal visits were thorough and never, ever rushed. Even when I didn't have any questions to ask and the exam went quickly, my appointments still lasted well over an hour with me chatting about a random aspect of pregnancy or childbirth with my midwife.

Labor and Delivery:

- The birthing room at the birth center didn't look or feel anything like a hospital room even though I know hospital-like equipment was hiding behind cabinet doors if it was needed. The room had a regular bed, an awesome bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a fantastic, big bathtub. I know they had a birthing chair, a hammock to hang from and probably more fun labor-assisting contraptions. The room looked more like a hotel suite than a birthing room. A little part of me wishes my labor was longer so I could have used more of the room.

- While in labor I could wear whatever I wanted. I could walk around and do pretty much whatever felt most comfortable to me. I could be in whatever position I wanted when it was time to push. I only had one cervical exam, and it was done gently and with my consent. I was free to eat and drink as I pleased. My older son was welcome to be present and participate as much as he was comfortable with so long as we had another adult there to supervise him if needed. 

- After my baby was born, I didn't have to stay for a mandatory 24-48 hours like I did in the hospital. If I didn't have some postpartum complications, we would have been home within a few hours after birth ready to snuggle with our newborn in our own bed. 

Postpartum Care:

· My midwife was prepared for the postpartum hemorrhage I had. A saline IV was started and I was given a couple of drugs to help my uterus stop bleeding. When they weren't working, an ambulance was called and we transferred to the hospital. All of this was done before it became a scary emergency. My midwife came with us to the hospital and stayed well into the morning; even though she didn't have privileges there. She was constantly talking to me, answering my questions, and making sure I understood what was going on and that my mind was at ease.

· My midwife noticed my son had a tongue tie and an upper lip tie within an hour of his birth. She clipped them both the next day and he went on to be a champion nursling with almost zero breastfeeding issues. I learned a lot about tongue ties from her and we discovered that both my older son and I had tongue ties that were never diagnosed. My heart ached a little bit thinking back to how incredibly painful nursing was for me in the early newborn weeks with my oldest.

· I saw my midwife two days postpartum for our first checkup. She did my son's newborn screening and hearing test along with a thorough follow-up for me. We saw her again one week and then two weeks postpartum for more follow-up to make sure that breastfeeding was going well and M's jaundice was under control (it wasn't, long story). In between appointments, she called me to check in and ask how things were going. 

· If I had needed it, a home visit with an IBCLC was included in my care. With my first pregnancy, they did the newborn stuff in the hospital and then I didn't see my OB again until six weeks postpartum. She had no idea about our breastfeeding struggles or TJ's jaundice and she probably didn't care. Newborn stuff was for the pediatrician and breastfeeding issues were for a lactation consultant or the pediatrician. Our pediatrician back then never asked how breastfeeding was going either, he only cared that my baby was gaining weight. At my birth center this time, all of it was under my midwife's scope of care and she strived to make sure BOTH of us were doing well.

· At my six-week postpartum check, Eva (birth assistant & office manager) was happy to snuggle with my baby while I had my exam with the midwife. With my OB, my husband had to take a morning off work to come to the appointment with me so he could hold our son while I was examined.

In conclusion, my experience with a midwife at a birth center compared to a hospital with an OB was so vastly different that I will never go back to an OB and a hospital if I have any more babies so long as my pregnancies remain low risk. 

Not all women experience their prenatal care the same way I did. I know there are some truly respectful and supportive obstetricians out there. And I'm sure there are some not-so-nice midwives too. 

I have learned that the whole attitude of midwifery care is much more to my liking. Midwives tend to treat pregnancies as low risk and normal unless something changes, and they do their best to teach preventative care to mamas to help keep them that way. Most obstetricians don't see pregnancy and childbirth the same way. They tend to see all pregnancies as high risk until proven otherwise.

The second time around, I truly felt cared for and that the health of my baby and myself were the most important things… not what was hospital policy, not the convenience of a doctor, not the wishes of an insurance company. It made my birth experience even more empowering to know this. 

Even when I had to transfer to the hospital shortly after my son's birth, my midwife stayed with us and was there to answer my many, many questions. They know and understand the value of psychological healing when things don't go as planned. I can't recommend these wonderful midwives enough!