I've become something I never in a million years thought I'd be. A hippie. Not really, but kind-of-sort-of.
I started cloth diapering both boys shortly after Kamden's arrival. I love it. I'm so glad I made the decision to just jump right in and do it. Once you get into the cloth diapering world your eyes are opened to so many different ways of thinking.
I already used reusable grocery bags, but now I can't stand plastic bags. I've ordered some different cutesy bags that fold up really small to put in the diaper bag and stash in the van. I plan to start using these bags at the mall and everywhere in between. I use my cloth diaper wetbags for soiled diapers and clothes, wet swimsuits, anything you might normally put in a plastic grocery bag.
I use very few paper towels. I am trying to go the un-paper towel route. Dustin cuts the sleeves off his t-shirts for work in the summer so I've been using the shirt sleeves as my paper towels. I use them to wipe off the counters, floors, and stove mostly. I even use cloth baby wipes. I just wash them with the diapers. I use them to wipe faces and hands, too. I love having less cost and waste!
I use the diva cup (if you don't know what it is look it up I'm not going into detail). Best decision ever! Freaking awesome. No more gross crap in the garbage. No more leakage. I empty it when I take my morning shower and again sometime in the evening. Easy-peasy. Less cost and waste again!
Now here is where I'm going to start heading into hippie territory. I am toying with the idea of 'no pooing'. Internet speak for no shampoo. You use 1 Tbsp of baking soda to 1 C of water. From what I've read people's hair has never looked better and they wash it less often. While I'm skeptical, I don't see what it would hurt. I've read a lot lately about how horrible shampoo is for your hair, so I'm going to give this a try. I guess there's a greasy detox period and I don't know how I'll handle that, but we'll see. I'm a shower-and-wash-your-hair-everyday kind of girl so we shall see. Oh, I almost forgot conditioner is 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinager to 1 C of water (up to 50/50 ratio).
The next hippie idea I'm going to try is the oil cleanse method to wash my face. I've also heard rave reviews on this. You use about 25% caster oil to 75% olive oil (or any number of oils). Oil attracts oil and it's suppose to do wonders for your face. The caster oil is suppose to pull all the gunk out of your pores. Supposedly all the products we use that are oil-free are counter productive since it rids our faces of oil, so our body produces even more oil to replace it. Which in turn starts a never ending cycle. Much like with shampoo.
We'll see how it goes. I probably will start Monday so I don't have gross hair or skin all weekend. I may chicken out, but I like the idea and the inexpensive/enviro-friendly aspect of it. I never thought I'd be so 'green', but I am just tired of all the waste. Anybody want to join me in my ventures???
***I just remembered another crunchy mama thing I do. Babywear. I still use our strollers frequently, but use my mei tai, too. I also keep my sling in the car incase I need to wear Kamden in a pinch.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ho-Hum
It's been kind of a blah week around here. Dustin is gone all week working in Guttenburg. The kids and I have just been hanging out.
Saturday - We had Grandma Kidd's (not so) surprise 80th birthday party.
Sunday - Karson started Sunday School!!! He did so-so. Dustin and I went along for a graham cracker banquet. Next week he's on his own and I'm not sure how he'll do.
Monday - Good-bye Dustin. I had a lady stop over to talk to me about a grant we got approved for. They are going to do $25,000 worth of work on our house. We have to have an inspector come and rank what needs to be done. We are hoping for a new furnace/central air and windows (siding if there's enough money left). We are very excited and blessed to be receiving this.
Tuesday - Took Karson and Kamden for lunch in the park with Grandma and Grandpa and hit up the grocery store.
Wednesday thru Friday - Regular work days. Take the kids to daycare, go to work, come home, dinner, baths, bed. Repeat.
Friday Dustin comes home. Yippee! We may go to Waterloo to pick up our new deep freeze and Mom and Dads new fridge. We'll see how late he returns from Guttenburg.
This weekend Kamden will be 11 months old! Almost One! I am so excited to start weaning from the pump. Not pumping is going to give me an extra hour and a half every day! We have a whole lot of frozen milk I'm going to try to start using. I am so happy we made it with no formula to the one year mark. Go me!
***Karsonism - while doing shape/color flash cards with Grandma, he sees this card.
He exclaims - "The octagon is missing!!!"
***Karsonism - With Dustin gone, everything falls to my shoulders. Karson is a spitfire and gets told to stop doing something all the time. He squashes, hits, pushes, pulls, etc on Kamden all the time. I tell him to get off brother. He doesn't listen. He gets time-out. After time-out he tells me tearfully and with gusto, "I'm tellin' my daddy you bein' naughty at me." So I pick up the phone and call Dustin so Karson can get it all out.
Sunday - Karson started Sunday School!!! He did so-so. Dustin and I went along for a graham cracker banquet. Next week he's on his own and I'm not sure how he'll do.
Monday - Good-bye Dustin. I had a lady stop over to talk to me about a grant we got approved for. They are going to do $25,000 worth of work on our house. We have to have an inspector come and rank what needs to be done. We are hoping for a new furnace/central air and windows (siding if there's enough money left). We are very excited and blessed to be receiving this.
Tuesday - Took Karson and Kamden for lunch in the park with Grandma and Grandpa and hit up the grocery store.
Wednesday thru Friday - Regular work days. Take the kids to daycare, go to work, come home, dinner, baths, bed. Repeat.
Friday Dustin comes home. Yippee! We may go to Waterloo to pick up our new deep freeze and Mom and Dads new fridge. We'll see how late he returns from Guttenburg.
***Karsonism - while doing shape/color flash cards with Grandma, he sees this card.
***Karsonism - With Dustin gone, everything falls to my shoulders. Karson is a spitfire and gets told to stop doing something all the time. He squashes, hits, pushes, pulls, etc on Kamden all the time. I tell him to get off brother. He doesn't listen. He gets time-out. After time-out he tells me tearfully and with gusto, "I'm tellin' my daddy you bein' naughty at me." So I pick up the phone and call Dustin so Karson can get it all out.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
No Way! Karson is 3!!!
Karson tuned three this weekend! He had an awesome time. Saturday Karson had 4 friends over for cupcake decorating and a few games. We were going to swim and do the slip and slide, but it was way to cold for that! We wore jeans and sweatshirts!
Sunday we did our traditional IHOP meal. Karson's birth was an induction, so we stopped and ate at IHOP before we went to the hospital to start the process. We have taken Karson to IHOP every year on his birthday since. When I was again induced with Kamden, we ate at Village Inn so he could have his own tradition.
Grandma Beth, Grandpa Ya-ya, and Grandma and Grandpa Chyma met us at IHOP. Then, we went to the mall to shop and play. Karson rode the 'horses' twice and had way more gumballs than he needed, but he had a blast.
***Funny Karsonism - While playing with his friends at his birthday party, Karson yells from the swingset, "Jack said a naughty word!" I just ignored him. Then, he comes up to me and says, "Mom, Jack said a naughty word." I asked him what Jack said (knowing he doesn't know what naughty words are). Karson says, "Mmmmmmm, Blue." BAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess it's a four letter word.
***Another - Grandma Beth played Ring-Around-The-Rosie with the kids at Karson's party. Now Karson walks around the house saying, "Asses, asses" (ashes, ashes) LOL
Sunday we did our traditional IHOP meal. Karson's birth was an induction, so we stopped and ate at IHOP before we went to the hospital to start the process. We have taken Karson to IHOP every year on his birthday since. When I was again induced with Kamden, we ate at Village Inn so he could have his own tradition.
Grandma Beth, Grandpa Ya-ya, and Grandma and Grandpa Chyma met us at IHOP. Then, we went to the mall to shop and play. Karson rode the 'horses' twice and had way more gumballs than he needed, but he had a blast.
***Funny Karsonism - While playing with his friends at his birthday party, Karson yells from the swingset, "Jack said a naughty word!" I just ignored him. Then, he comes up to me and says, "Mom, Jack said a naughty word." I asked him what Jack said (knowing he doesn't know what naughty words are). Karson says, "Mmmmmmm, Blue." BAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess it's a four letter word.
***Another - Grandma Beth played Ring-Around-The-Rosie with the kids at Karson's party. Now Karson walks around the house saying, "Asses, asses" (ashes, ashes) LOL
Thursday, September 2, 2010
We're all sick
Great. Now I'm sick. Lovely thing about kids is, they share everything, but toys. Illness included. Good thing my husband has left me to fend for myself.
Dustin has been gone for work all week and it seems as if this may be a weekly occurrence. Dietz Construction is building a big ol' house in Guttenburg, so that is where Dustin will be spending his weeks. The crew has an apartment, so I consider this Dustin's vacation. He gets a full nights sleep and every week night he gets to relax, drink a beer, and watch TV. No kids, no wives, just his friends. Must be nice. I know he misses us and we miss him, but still...
Kamden has been so funny lately. He will go in the toy room and play by himself all day long. He looks at books and climbs up the slide. I will go check on him and he'll push himself back down the slide and look at me like 'I wasn't doing anything'. I have learned to put pants on him when I'm not right there to catch him. He can't get up to the top of the slide with pants on. Oh, and he's a dancer! This little boy will shake his booty every time he hears music. At home, in a restaurant, in the car. I think he may need a little piano or something for his birthday. Kamden also loves blankets and stuffed animals. He will crawl over and bury his face in his nest (boppy with blankets all around it) and giggle. Same thing with stuffed animals.
Karson is just Karson. We are working on getting him to listen. He likes to ignore my requests. Like, get off your brother, use your inside voice, stop being a whiner, eat your supper, stop asking for popsicles, just to name a few. This kid has an angry streak that I hate to say probably came from me. He stomps his foot, drops to the floor, growls, and hits. We are also working on this. LOL Karson thinks he is the boss of Kamden and likes to try to tell him what to do. Frustrating. He is a pretty good helper when he wants to be. The other exciting thing is he has been waking up in the night to go potty! Yay!
Tonight, I'm going to make supper, clean up, and then lay on the couch until Dustin gets home. Then, I'm going to continue laying on the couch and let him watch the kids.
Dustin has been gone for work all week and it seems as if this may be a weekly occurrence. Dietz Construction is building a big ol' house in Guttenburg, so that is where Dustin will be spending his weeks. The crew has an apartment, so I consider this Dustin's vacation. He gets a full nights sleep and every week night he gets to relax, drink a beer, and watch TV. No kids, no wives, just his friends. Must be nice. I know he misses us and we miss him, but still...
Kamden has been so funny lately. He will go in the toy room and play by himself all day long. He looks at books and climbs up the slide. I will go check on him and he'll push himself back down the slide and look at me like 'I wasn't doing anything'. I have learned to put pants on him when I'm not right there to catch him. He can't get up to the top of the slide with pants on. Oh, and he's a dancer! This little boy will shake his booty every time he hears music. At home, in a restaurant, in the car. I think he may need a little piano or something for his birthday. Kamden also loves blankets and stuffed animals. He will crawl over and bury his face in his nest (boppy with blankets all around it) and giggle. Same thing with stuffed animals.
Karson is just Karson. We are working on getting him to listen. He likes to ignore my requests. Like, get off your brother, use your inside voice, stop being a whiner, eat your supper, stop asking for popsicles, just to name a few. This kid has an angry streak that I hate to say probably came from me. He stomps his foot, drops to the floor, growls, and hits. We are also working on this. LOL Karson thinks he is the boss of Kamden and likes to try to tell him what to do. Frustrating. He is a pretty good helper when he wants to be. The other exciting thing is he has been waking up in the night to go potty! Yay!
Tonight, I'm going to make supper, clean up, and then lay on the couch until Dustin gets home. Then, I'm going to continue laying on the couch and let him watch the kids.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Feverish Friday...
Nothing much to say today. Both boys are still running fever's off and on, so I'm taking them to the doctor this afternoon. I want to make sure it's not ear infection or something more serious. I don't think it is, but since it's Friday you know they'll get worse this weekend and I won't be able to take them in.
Karson is excited to go shopping for his birthday party things this weekend. As of now, I'm planning on a fairly low key party. We'll see how much it grows over the weekend.
This is Kamden's new favorite sleep position. Face down, butt up.
**UPDATE - We had a strep test, 2 blood tests, and a chest x-ray all with negative results. Karson is on an antibiotic and nebulizer treatments. Kamden we are just going to give tylenol and assume he's teething (he just cut a tooth and the doctor saw 3 teeth about ready to come through), If they keep having fever's we'll take them back in for more tests.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sick Kids
One of my least favorite things about being a parent is sick kids. While I enjoy the extra snuggles, I can't stand seeing my kids miserable. I am a worry-wart and tend to let my mind take things to far. So this weekend kind of got to me.
We went to Adventureland on Sunday. We woke Karson up, got him dressed, and hit the road. Of course, by the time we get to the park, we could tell he wasn't acting like himself. At first we thought maybe it was all the people or he was just being shy and not warmed up yet (we went with Dustin's family). It didn't take us long to realize he was sick. The little guy was burning up and it was 90 plus degrees out.
We rode some rides, but Karson wasn't feeling it. He even went on a couple of things I don't think he normally would have, just so he could stay with me. He rode the log ride and that really suprised me. I went on a rollercoaster and could hear him screaming for me the whole time we stood in line. The line wasn't long, but it still broke my heart. We were planning on going to the water park portion after lunch so Karson and I could just float in the lazy river.
We went out to the parking lot for lunch at about 2. I planned on putting Karson in the van to watch a movie and rest, while everyone else ate. He fell asleep for about 15 minutes and then woke up. I asked him if he wanted to go play in the water and he said yes. So I started getting our swim stuff out of the van. Then, I asked him again if he wanted to go swim. He said, "No, I want to go home." That was enough for me. I told Dustin I thought we should leave and he agreed. So off we went.
Karson slept the entire way home (3ish hours) and then fell asleep on the couch after we got home. So, we spent 6 hours in the van driving and not quite 4 hours at Adventureland. What a BUST! Karson didn't even get to ride the train since we planned on doing that after lunch. When we got home his temp was over 104 degrees so we are very, very glad we left when we did. The kid had to of been just miserable. We gave him Tylenol, and his temp started coming down. The fever broke in the middle of the night. Thank God we didn't have to take him the ER after all the excitement he'd already had that day. Had we of known he was sick before we left we wouldn't have taken him. We either would have stayed home or left him with my parents since they already had Kamden. Live and learn I guess.
***Karson told me on Monday that he rode the log boats and he screamed when he went down the slide. LOL He only screamed because we watched other people go down and they all screamed. I'm suprised he remembered at all since he was in such a dazed state all day.
We went to Adventureland on Sunday. We woke Karson up, got him dressed, and hit the road. Of course, by the time we get to the park, we could tell he wasn't acting like himself. At first we thought maybe it was all the people or he was just being shy and not warmed up yet (we went with Dustin's family). It didn't take us long to realize he was sick. The little guy was burning up and it was 90 plus degrees out.
We rode some rides, but Karson wasn't feeling it. He even went on a couple of things I don't think he normally would have, just so he could stay with me. He rode the log ride and that really suprised me. I went on a rollercoaster and could hear him screaming for me the whole time we stood in line. The line wasn't long, but it still broke my heart. We were planning on going to the water park portion after lunch so Karson and I could just float in the lazy river.
We went out to the parking lot for lunch at about 2. I planned on putting Karson in the van to watch a movie and rest, while everyone else ate. He fell asleep for about 15 minutes and then woke up. I asked him if he wanted to go play in the water and he said yes. So I started getting our swim stuff out of the van. Then, I asked him again if he wanted to go swim. He said, "No, I want to go home." That was enough for me. I told Dustin I thought we should leave and he agreed. So off we went.
Karson slept the entire way home (3ish hours) and then fell asleep on the couch after we got home. So, we spent 6 hours in the van driving and not quite 4 hours at Adventureland. What a BUST! Karson didn't even get to ride the train since we planned on doing that after lunch. When we got home his temp was over 104 degrees so we are very, very glad we left when we did. The kid had to of been just miserable. We gave him Tylenol, and his temp started coming down. The fever broke in the middle of the night. Thank God we didn't have to take him the ER after all the excitement he'd already had that day. Had we of known he was sick before we left we wouldn't have taken him. We either would have stayed home or left him with my parents since they already had Kamden. Live and learn I guess.
***Karson told me on Monday that he rode the log boats and he screamed when he went down the slide. LOL He only screamed because we watched other people go down and they all screamed. I'm suprised he remembered at all since he was in such a dazed state all day.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
My Boys Are Growing Up
I've started thinking about the boys birthday parties. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I had Kamden. Time sure does fly! I think that I am going to let Karson invite some friends over for a small bday party and then do a big family party closer to Kamden's bday for both boys. Should be interesting...
**Look what I caught Kamden doing in the toy room
***Quick Karsonism - I was reading Karson his bedtime stories. The book we were reading had bible stories in it. I was telling him about the angels and went on to finish the book. When we were done reading he wanted to go back to "the flying mommies". I didn't get it until he pointed to the angels while he was saying it. Thanks Bubba.
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