Kids in the Basement

My kids have been watching me working in the basement  for over a year now.  They find it facinating and like to help where they can, which up until now hasn't been much.  Well, now we're at the point where they can help, and boy were they excited to do so.  They've done work in 30 minute chunks of time, doing 1 or 2 sessions a day.  They've even helped with clean up!

The girls got to tape the walls of their soon to be bedrooms with the mesh tape, supervised, of course.  Then yesterday, we all went down and worked on the mud (wallboard joint compound) in Bailey's room.

I was actually surprised at how well they did.  I had to fix things up a bit when they were done, but it was pretty good job for a 10, 7 and 5 year old.

Sierra was the best at it.  I hardly had to do anything to her work when she was done.

Bailey liked to put it on rather thick.  She also really liked to cover up the screws.

Daddy helped with the ceiling where the kids couldn't reach.

After the mud dried, they even worked on sanding things smooth.  I made sure they wore a face mask to keep the dust out.  Blake even wanted to wear glasses.

Look what I did!

They should have fun when we get around to painting too.  Ha!  Now that's going to be a mess!

It's all coming together!

I've been working hard on my basement these last couple of weeks, and it has shown vast improvement. The two bedrooms are completely wall boarded, and now the Rec Room and hallway have a ceiling! Just two more walls full of doors, and I'll be done with the wallboard! Hooray!

I'll be stopping for about a month though as I start grading papers again, but hopefully in the few weeks prior to D day, I'll be able to tape, texture and paint. Sierra and Bailey could actually have their own rooms before their baby sister makes her appearance. Wish me luck!

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere! I have the itch to sew

As if working in the basement and homeschooling aren't enough to keep me occupied, I have acquired the bug for sewing this past month, and there is little end in sight.

It started with cloth wipes. Seemingly harmless little things. Just 2 pieces of flannel sewn together.

Ah, but once I started, I couldn't stop. Soon, I was making reusable snack bags for the kids' school lunches. I combined a number of pictures and patterns I found on the internet and eventually used ripstop nylon fused to preshrunk cotton. Basically, you cut the fused materials into rectangles, sew on velcro, then sew up sides envelope style.

Next was a zippered wetbag for transporting soiled cloth diapers in the diaper bag. I also made a large one with a Velcro strap to hang in my bathroom for dirty diapers and wipes. Here is the free tutorial I used for the smaller bag, and I simply improvised for the strap on the larger bag.

After that, I had to stop due to this and that, but my creative juices couldn't stop running. Now I'm looking at making a number of other baby items, from bibs to changing pads and more. It's amazing how many different free patterns there are out there on the internet. I've also been busy making patterns of my own from designs I like. Here are some of my intended projects:

Bibs:

I found a fun bib pattern with tutorial that is similar to the ones used in Japan. Think I'll try it out. I also love the Bumkins Super Bibs, but I thought I'd like to try making my own. I've found a picture on the web and majorly enlarged it to make a pattern. We'll see how it turns out. I plan to use PUL (polyurethane laminated cloth) and some sort of biased tape.

Sleep Sacks:

Another nice thing to have for baby that can be made relatively cheap. The armless ones are pretty easy too, and there are plenty of tutorials out there, as well as patterns to choose from.

Waterproof Changing Pads:

These are used to keep your baby from soiling whatever they are being changed on, as well as keeping their bottoms off of things you's rather they weren't touching. They also work really well as night and nap time leak stoppers in the crib (so you don't have to change the sheets). Here is a good tutorial. I plan to cut a good sized piece of waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric), cut another piece of soft/absorbent fabric such as terry, flannel, or fleece the same size. I'm thinking I might bind it together with biased tape. We'll see.

Cloth Diaper Soakers/Liners:

I really like the idea of the Best Bottom diaper system, but I thought I could improve their hemp/organic cotton liners some, and for less. I'm using a soaker of each size as a pattern, but instead of the 6 layers of hemp that they use, I am planning on doing 2 layers of heavy bamboo and only 3 layers of hemp. Bamboo absorbs wetness fast and is softer, while hemp absorbs slowly, is less soft, but holds more. The bamboo, of course, will go next to the baby with the hemp behind. I figure if I sew the two cloth types together separately, then only attach them together at the top and bottom, they will be able to dry more quickly (as both take a long time to dry when there are a lot of layers).

Nursing Pads:

Since I will be washing diapers frequently anyway, I figured I might as well use cloth nursing pads. However, the ones I am interested in most, Bamboobies, cost so much! So, I thought I would take their ideas and make my own. Their regular ones are super thin, with a layer of PUL, a couple layers hemp, and a layer of bamboo velour cut and sewn together in a heart shape. I can do that! Their overnight ones are made from several layers of hemp sandwiched between bamboo fleece. Since I'll be making diaper soakers anyway, I'll already have the material on hand. Why not make them myself?

Mama Cloth:

These are cloth feminine pads. I figure why not try them out, since I'm doing cloth diapers already anyway. Using a couple free patterns I found online, I plan to make the bottom layer of PUL, inner core layers of hemp, and the top layer from bamboo velour with KAM (plastic) snaps on the wings. I figure, if I like using them, I'll make more. If not, oh well.

For now, that's enough. I'm sure I'll find more things to make as time goes on.

Oh, and if you're wondering where I'm finding all of the hemp, bamboo, and PUL, they are sold online. You can find PUL in retail stores, but it is thicker and not as soft/flexible making it better for some projects, and not as good for others. The hemp and bamboo are only found online as of yet. My favorite online stores for these materials are Kids in the Garden and Diaper Sewing Supplies.

A Whole New World

While doing research on different cloth diapers and their care, I have come across a whole new world of things that I never knew existed. Here's a short list to show what I mean:

Tea Tree Oil: It is an essential oil often used in home made baby wipes solutions. It is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal, and used for treating things like nail fungus, ringworm, athletes foot, dandruff, acne, and many types of infestations including head lice, mites, and mosquitoes.

Wool Dryer Balls: Add these balls to your dryer to get faster drying, fluffier laundry. It also helps eliminate static, though not completely. They effectively do the job of dryer sheets, except they are reusable for years and don't leave any chemical residue on your clothes.

Cloth Feminine Pads: Um, pretty self explanatory. They're like cloth diapers, except for the purpose of, and shaped like, feminine hygiene products.

Eco-friendly Detergents and Cleaners: Maybe I'm just blind, but I never knew these were out there, and in such an abundance! They are made from all-natural materials such as grape seed and fruit extract, coconut and corn, and other essential oils, and according to reviews, they work just as well as synthetic cleaners.

Diaper Sprayers: I did know about these beforehand, but I still find it part of a different world. These attach to the water supply on your toilet and are used just like the sprayer in your kitchen sink. Except, of course, it sprays into your toilet. I can think of lots of things other then diapers this could be useful for, but they're all kinda gross. I'd rather not list them.

Diaper Cloths: I already knew about cotton and wool. Cotton is very absorbent, and wool is water repellent. What I didn't know was that there are cloths made from hemp and bamboo. Turns out they are thinner and even more absorbent and highly prized by the cloth diapering community then the old standbys. There is also a fabric caller PUL (polyurethane lining) that is waterproof but soft, typically used for the outside shell on diapers, and microfleece and suedcloth used to wick away the moisture.

Reusable Bags: These include sandwich bags, diaper pail liners, dirty diaper (wet) bags, and mini wet/dry bags. Makes sense for cloth diaper users. They can also be used for other things like swim gear, makeup, feminine products, wet wipes, sunscreen, lotion, towels, etc. Just launder with your diapers or other laundry.

It's quite possible that you already knew of these things and I was just obliviouse. Oh well. In either case, now we both know.

Diaper Days are Coming!

My ultrasound a couple weeks ago helped me realize I have a baby coming. Soon. Not too soon, but soon enough. And that realization jumpstarted a week + of figuring something out.

A couple years ago, while at the park with one of my friends, her little boy had his diaper changed. Exciting, I know, but it started a long conversation. You see, he was wearing a cloth diaper. And it was cute, not one of those hideous old-fassioned pre-folds with pins and plastic pants. I was interested. I've always been a bit of an environmentalist, but I also find frugality, aesthetics, and convenience important. My friend informed me that by using cloth diapers, I could actually obtain all four. Really?

Environmentally, cloth diapers are wonderful. They do not pile up in landfills, adding non-decomposing and toxic waste to the system. Instead, they get reused over and over, recycling for years, and putting the waste where it belongs (down the toilet).

Economically, it is also a winner. Over the period from birth to potty training, a typical child will go through over $2000 in disposable diapers. Seriously. Cloth diapering is much cheaper in the long run. It has it's up front costs (top diapering systems will run you close to $400), but then they are used over, and over, and over again. Those diapers are meant to last the entire 2-3 years and then some, often being passed down to younger siblings. That's even more savings!

As far as looks go, you can get some really cute cloth diapers now days. Just take a look at all the various kinds, from BumGenius, to FuzziBunz, to G Diapers, Flips, Best Bottoms. . . the list goes on and on. They aren't huge and majorly bulky like the old style cloth diapers, and some are even as trim as the current disposables.

As for convenience, there is slightly more work. You will have to do additional laundry 2-3 times a week, but is that really such a big deal? You're already going to be doing laundry for your little one and all of your other family members. Also, there are no more late night runs to the store in icy snow because you "ran out". As for putting the diaper on the baby, there isn't much more to it then disposables. For pocket diapers, you simply stuff a liner in the pocket, then snap or velcro it on. For all-in-2 (hybrid) diapers, you lay the liner in the shell, then snap or velcro it on baby. No more folding or pinning with these diapering systems. Easy. For clean up, pull the liner and cover apart, spray off pooh into the toilet with a toilet sprayer, and toss in the diaper pail to be washed later. Still pretty convenient.

So, with all of these facts and a baby looming in the horizon, I needed to decide if I was actually going try cloth diapering or not.

Lucky for me, my friend needed someone to watch her boys for almost a week, and her youngest is still in diapers. While watching them, I got to try out BumGenius, a pocket diaper, to see how I liked it. Well, I did. It was really no big deal to rinse the diapers, stuff a pocket, or put on her son. The laundering was easier then I thought (why I thought it would be any more difficult then normal laundry, I don't know). That tiny bit of extra work was way overshadowed by the economic difference, and the environmental and aesthetic ends were definitely an added boost.

In short, it looks like I'll be using cloth diapers this time around.

Five in the Snow

It snowed last night. A lot. We seem to be getting a lot of snow dumps this year, not that I mind. The schools in the district got closed, though ours still happened (have to finish as much as I can before the baby comes). Oh well. We still got snow time, hot chocolate, and cookies.

Anyway, I've been watching two little boys for a friend of mine this week while their parents move house. It's been fun having them. For Blake, it's been like a week long slumber party. He's so happy to have boys to play with.

Lucky for us, we happened to have enough snow boots, pants, and gloves to go around.

Say Cheese!

The kids even helped shovel the driveway. Not a small feat seeing how thick and heavy the snow was.

It's been a good snow day.

It's a GIRL!!!

Poor Blake, but he'll be OK.

We're planning to name her Alyssa Madison.

She's due June 15th, but I've yet to go early.

Have a great day!

Happy Belated Birthday Blake

Way back when Blake turned 5, we were planning on having a party for him. Unfortunately, it was the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and all but one of his friends couldn't make it. So, we decided to move it. To January. When everyone could make it. When we weren't all busy with Christmas stuff. Ah, life. Sigh.

Anyway, we had a great time.

My kids made the monster cupcakes. The eyes were the best parts. Yum!

Happy 5th Birthday Blake!

Snow Day=Jammie Day

It's cold outside today. And it's snowing. One of those days that you just feel like staying in your pajamas, curling up with a blanket, drinking hot chocolate, and reading a book.

Ah, but we have to do school today. Sigh.

Wait! We have school at home! We can do whatever we want, right?! Hee hee.

Let it be declared that today is a Jammie Day!

Hooray, hooray for Jammie Day!

It is currently 11am, and we are all snuggled up with our fuzzy blankets in the living room, clothed in pajamas, fuzzy socks, and bathrobes, doing our math. We just had grilled ham, cheese and apple sandwiches, and we're waiting for our hot apple cider to cool enough to drink. Warm baths are planned after school is over for those who want them, and then we'll watch the rest of Avatar's season 2. Chores, well, they just need to be done before bed.

What a wonderful way to spend a snowy school day!

Merry Christmas 2011

My kids love taking Christmas pictures, especially the silly type. It makes it hard to take the standard "good" picture, but we always seem to end up with a lot of fun ones.

Have a very Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Christmas Letter 2011

Hey everyone,

Yet another year has come and gone, as they always seem to do. Unfortunately, this year had been a hard one for us, both financially and emotionally. However, there have been many rays of sunshine amidst the gloom, and family and friends have been a great help to us. We’ve really appreciated it, so thank you!

Seth has been hit the hardest around here. His bankruptcy practice has slowed down drastically over the past 12 months. Apparently, most people who can file have, and everyone else is so poor that bankruptcy actually won’t help. We are hoping that things will pick up once the economy does, but in the mean time, he is looking at additional sources of income, from expanding his practice to include consumer protection cases to doing Japanese translation for law firms and other legal contract work that’s available. Job aside, he has been able to spend a lot of time with the family.

Misty has had a full year. Along with homeschooling the kids, she was able to do seasonal, part time work grading statewide standardized tests for 3^rd-11^th grade reading comprehension and math. She also started working on finishing the basement. She has been able to complete enough to do some wall boarding and hopes to have the walls and ceilings done by next summer. Misty also discovered she was pregnant last June, then miscarried at 10 weeks along. A couple months later, she was pregnant again, this time with twins. Unfortunately, at 9 ½ weeks, she lost one. The surviving baby is alive and well, happily kicking and dancing away. He/she is expected to make an appearance around mid June next year.

Sierra, who is now 9 ½ and full of ideas, is doing well. She’s learning long multiplication and division in math, reading longer chapter books, and creating her own books on the computer. She is also taking, and doing very well in, Guitar and Musical Theatre at Options (once a week public school for the homeschooled). She will be performing the part of Toulouse, the little grey kitten from the Disney version, in their production of Aristocrats this coming spring.

Bailey is now 7 and has finally lost her first two teeth. She’s so proud! She has graduated to reading chapters, and is currently on the Disney Fairy books. Her artistic abilities have flourished in photography, drawing, and sculpting, and will soon be giving her older sister a run for her money. At Options, among other things, she has been learning Spanish and a lot about animals, weather, and cultures.

Blake, our 5 year-old giant, still maintains the cleanest room in the house. That boy likes things to be just so! He started doing preschool work this year and loves writing his letters and numbers, drawing shapes, and doing dot to dots and mazes. “Use your fingers, Blake, not your fist!” His imagination has flourished as well as he plays pretend with his sisters and toys, and he also seems to have an artistic streak along with his acute spatial awareness.

Casper, our cat, somehow hurt his hip earlier this year, but it is slowly healing. Lately, he has discovered that he doesn’t like snow, so to alleviate his boredom when he’s trapped inside, he will lie down in the middle of the hall or kitchen to bat at anything that crosses his path. What a silly cat!

Yes, we’ve had lots of sunshine amid the gloom. We hope that you’ve had sunshine too. Happy Holidays, and may your new year be bright!

Chocolate Mice

I can't really call this a "snack", but my kids love to make them, and they're pretty easy. Actually, the hardest part is by far finding maraschino cherries with stems. So, here's what you do:

Per mouse you will need:

1 marachino cherry with a stem

1 Hershey's Kiss

2 chocolate chips

melted dipping chocolate (almond bark)

First, dry the cherries off on a paper towel, unwrap the kisses, have the chocolate chips ready, and line a pan with waxed paper. Then melt the almond bark in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. (Be sure to stir, or the chocolate can burn.)

Pick up a cherry by the stem (it's tail), and dip it in the chocolate to coat. Scrape off any extra and place on the waxed paper with the "tail" off to one side. Place the kiss, flat side, against the cherry opposite the stem. The place the ears (chocolate chips), point side toward the cherry at the top of the kiss. Cool and enjoy.

Tree Time

Once again it was time for our yearly drive out to the Red Feather Lakes National Forest above Fort Collins where we chop down our Christmas tree each year. It's a good 2 hour drive, but luckily, our kids are good travelers. Turn on Christmas music, give them notebooks and drawing/coloring supplies, make sure they have snacks and water, and we're good to go.

Since we went on a weekday this year (there was a lot of snow and really cold temps on Saturday), we had to stop by the forest service station in Fort Collins for our $10 permit on our way up. Turns out we weren't the only ones who waited for better weather. I think we saw a good 20 or so other cars in the cutting areas.

Anyway, once we were there, the kids threw themselves into the snow. Literally. Then we hiked up a large hill to the back of a clump where we started looking around for our tree. I got tired very quickly, but the kids had a lot of fun. The snow was a couple feet deep.

Eventually, Seth found a tree that we decided was a keeper. It was noting too impressive, but trekking through that deep snow was tiring for all of us, and we wanted to end the search sooner then later, before the kids got too whiney and cranky.

Then, we headed back to the car. The hike down was a lot easier, and since we brought a sled, the kids got to take turns sliding down through the trench like tracks all the way to the parking area. Time to tie the tree down, load up the car, refill water bottles, and feed the masses.

The kids were a little bored on the way back, but cheeseburgers and fries along with more lively Christmas music helped to keep them from going nuts. The whole trip took us about 5 1/2 hours. Not bad, really.

Then we set the tree up. It is huge! The thing takes up a good large chunk of our living room this year, but it looks better then we thought. Hooray for us!