Solitaire Klondike: Learn How to Play

f_01310682941_family-traditions.jpgSince computers entered each and every household, classroom and office, solitaire became the most popular game. It is simple to learn, easy to play, and addictive because of its simplicity. But that was ages ago, and people have begun to grow tired of that same old game. As a result, they turned to new variations and Klondike is the most popular of them.

Ironically, its not a new game. The term Klondike as a game surfaces somewhere in the latter part of the nineteen hundred, and historians suggest that it evolved from miners in the Alaskan and Californian mountains to pass the time.

How Can You Play Klondike?
This is not a difficult game to learn, but what’s good is that though you will get the hang of it quickly, its difficult to beat in an addictive way. Its not frustrating, but fun and invigorating. One of the things you must learn is how to lay the cards out.

1) Start by placing one card on the table in front of you. Place it facing up.
2) Place another six cards to its left, but keep these facing down.
3) Place a card facing up to the card left of the first card you placed down.
4) Add another card facing down to all the remaining cards a bit below them so as to form a column. Likewise, continue by placing one open card and then by adding a closed card to the rest.

If you follow the instructions properly, you should have it so that last column will have seven cards. Check also that you have twenty-four cards in your hand because these are the cards you will play with.

Now What?
What you have to try and do is place all the cards on the four different aces. These will appear whenever they do, and you have to try and create the four suited sequence from the ace to the king. The moment you see and ace, place it on the side and start adding the next card. (eg: After an ace, place a two and then a three.) Note that each suit must be according to colour and type. By this I mean that the ace of diamond gets only diamonds, the ace of spades gets only spade cards and so on. Likewise, you can create card sequences down on the base cards as well by placing the card lower than it of the opposite colour. For instance, under a six of clubs, you can place either a five of diamonds or a five of hearts, but the five of clubs or the five of spades is out of the question.

Opening the Cards Facing Down
When you can use the cards facing up, then you can open the card that appears under it. And like in regular Solitaire, when you manage to open a base card and have only six or less bases, you can open a new base by placing a King there.

Moving Sequences
You can also move card sequences from one base to another and this doesn’t depend on the length of the sequence. All that matters is that the rules of sequence are kept.

To use the cards in your hand, take the top three cards and turn them over. But remember that you can use only the top card. Only if and when you use that card, you can use the next one under it. Continue revealing batches of three. Once done, pick up all the cards and start again.

Mommy & Baby: Questioning Your Milk Supply

f_11310567366_cimg3226.jpgRegardless of which feeding philosophy you follow, you cannot add to what nature has left out. The anxiety created by the fear of failure (and in some cases, the fear of judgment from others) is a contributor in its own right to milk deficiency.

In most cultures, up to 5% of women during peacetime and 10% during wartime are not able to produce adequate milk for their infants. Some mothers experience sufficiency that wanes to insufficiency by the third month. This can take place in spite of having all the “correct- pieces of the puzzle in place: appropriate rest and nutrition, good latch, nursing frequently enough, and sufficient support from family.

If you question your milk supply at any time, observe the following:

 Is your baby routinely fussy after every feeding?

 Is he having difficulty going the appropriate duration between feedings?

 How is the stress-level in your life (this can affect the taste and production of milk) and in your home (which can affect your infant directly)?

If you’ve eliminated what you can and you’re still unsure, consider the following:

 If you question your supply in the first 2 months, consider feeding on a strict 2.5 hour routine for 5-7 days. If your milk production increases (demonstrated by your baby being more content and sleeping better), work your way back to a 3-hour minimum. If no improvement occurs, supplement with a formula to give you peace of mind and your baby more calories.

 If you question your milk supply in the 4th month, try adding a few extra feedings to your daytime routine. Also, consider your caloric intake as mommy–if you are dieting, you should stop. This can adversely affect your milk supply. Additionally, you could step back to a strict 3-hour routine and then gradually work your way back to where you were (probably a 4-hour routine by this point) and see how things go. If you have no improvement after several days, supplement with formula.

The four-day test involves adding one to two ounces of formula after each nursing period. Then express your milk with an electric breast pump, doing 10 minutes per side. Keep track of how much extra you are producing. If your milk production is plentiful, the problem lies with your baby. He is either not latching on properly or is a lazy nurser.

If additional stimulation doesn’t occur from pumping and you’ve reviewed everything else, then you may be among the 5-10% of women who can’t provide a sufficient milk supply. Learn and discern what is best for your family (nursing or bottle-feeding) and make no excuses for your decision. It is your family!

How Mothers Can And Should Really Enjoy A Hot Bubble Bath

f_21310567977_gsale005.jpgOkay I admit it I love to take hot relaxing bubble baths. Nothing beats soaking in a tub and reading a good book at the same time. I usually skip the glass of wine, I am much more apt to have a glass of diet coke instead.

Before motherhood I would often take my luxurious soak in the evenings. But as all good mother’s know, if the kids are home there is no real relaxing. They have you cornered and will often want to chat or have untold questions to ask when you are in the tub. After all you can give them your undivided attention at this time. Plus it is always fun to play with the bubbles when mommy is in the tub.

Don’t get me wrong I cherish all the chats my daughter and I have had while I was soaking, and we will both always have fond memories of her putting bubbles on my head and then erupting into giggles. I wouldn’t replace those memories for anything, even the privacy to enjoy my bath. But once in awhile I thought it would be nice to treat myself to the luxury.

Now that my daughter just started school I decided to occasionally take my long soaks in the late morning after getting all the housework done. Well maybe not getting all of it done, but all that I am going to do. Life is too short to worry about every little dust bunny and cobweb in my opinion. Plus if you let them build up a bit you feel such a sense of accomplishment when you eventually get around to them. That is my philosophy anyway.

But just like telemarketers always call at supper time, someone always calls or the doorbell rings when I am in the tub. Not only do these interruptions ruin the relaxation they sure don’t make fond memories that I will later want to reminisce about.

So I have came to the decision that I will go back to evening bubble baths, after all there will be a time in the future when she will be too grown up to want to talk to mom while she is in the tub and to giggle over the bubbles. I think I will cherish and embrace every memory that I can, because they grow up way too fast.