YOU do the math!

1 Distracted Mama + 1 Cell Phone Camera + 1 Crazy Big Sister + 1 Easy-going Baby= Fun 4 All!!!!

Babywearing

We are a babywearing family. I have worn all 3 of our kids at one time or another. Colby and I both wore Adia in a Snugli when she was a baby. People thought it was hilarious to see daddy and baby, both in their "shades," just hanging out (she HAD to be forward facing to see what was going on!) I wore Ming Hong in China, even though he was 28 lbs. and the Chinese people were appalled because "He is a BIG boy- he can walk by himself!" For Ming Hong I used a Mei Hip carrier, which was perfect for his weight and my back! I just couldn't STAND the idea of letting him ride around in a stroller when we could bond while I was wearing him. Even after we got back to the States, I wore him for a few months. We'd go into a new place together, and when he began to feel comfortable he'd let me know he was ready to get down. I've never regretted that time we had together. Elie Kate enjoys her EllaRoo wrap. She loves to be all snuggly and close, and I love the versatility of the different positions in which I can wear her. AND, I love that all of our kids have been exposed to babywearing. I've begun to notice a trend in play around our house. Now, my kids are wearing their own "babies." I pray as they see our example, that they will desire to have that for their own children one day...

Just Humor Me

The day will come when my kids will no longer enjoy my humor at their expense. Fortunately, today is not that day. My son needed a haircut in the worst way and mom thought we'd save a few bucks. So, out came the comb and scissors. Now, I've had a couple of near-misses in the past (think of my husband in full Prince Humperdink page-boy), but I thought I would at least give it a shot. About half-way through I began to see a theme emerging... I just couldn't help myself!!!! The kicker was when our friends' daughter came in and said, "He looks like Miley Cyrus' dad!" Out came the camera, and my precious son obliged. And now it's on the world wide web for all to enjoy! You'll be happy to know that I did finish the cut and he looks pretty durn cute. Hooray for saving a buck!!!!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 7

Well, it's the last day of the challenge! When I began this week I never imagined that we'd have such a rough time (two kiddos with ear infections, cold and rainy days that made for less-than-ideal laundry conditions and crazy kids). I'm thankful, though, because now I can recommend this method of cloth diapering and be able to tell families (with all honesty) the pros and cons. We are keeping our flats to continue using, but many families are choosing to donate theirs to organizations that help people with the cost of cloth diapering. Two such organizations are Giving Diapers, Giving Hope and The Cloth Diaper Foundation. If you've ever thought of cloth diapering and don't have the financial means to build your stash, these organizations would be a good place to start.

Well, our little one is out for the night. I posted a pic of her night-time cloth, so you could enjoy her cute fluffiness! Happy dreams, all!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 6

Nothing really exciting or monumental to report today. Although, my mom and aunt got to change the baby (and did a great job)! I love introducing (or re-introducing) people to cloth diapers...

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I do not have to handwash dipes anymore! Although, I will definitely keep my bucket washer for all sorts of handy things. And, I'll keep my flats- I have really enjoyed using them! Tomorrow I'll sum up my adventures, and give a few links to organizations that help families with cloth diapering costs. So, until the last challenge day...

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 5

Grrrr... I was really depending on that warm, sunny day the weather guys kept talking about. Now, I have damp dipes that probably won't even be dry in the morning...

Today we experimented with all sorts of fun things to use as diapers! We tried a couple of T-shirts, a kitchen towel, a scarf, and a sweater. All did a fine job! We enjoyed finding new and useful things to use as diapers. And, speaking of "useful," my 7-yr-old decided to be helpful and change the baby's diaper while Mommy was cooking biscuits and gravy. She happened to find one of the few sposies (disposable diapers) that are left in our home and put it on the babe right in the middle of Challenge week! She was so proud of herself!!!! I may have to show little Miss Eager how to cloth diaper now...

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 4

I LOVE wool! Not the itchy kind that we remember from decades ago. The soft merino-kind that breathes so well... keeps baby warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Wool naturally neutralizes urine, and the lanolin is naturally waterproof. So, wool covers are perfect for covering cloth diapers! Basically, you hand-wash and lanolize wool once and you're good for a few weeks... unless baby has a poo-poo blowout. Guess what happened to us today?!!!! And in this humid weather, wool takes FOREVER to dry. SOOOOO, we are now down one cover. The challenge only allows us 5, so maybe wool wasn't the best choice? Oh, well. Live and learn! Tomorrow is gonna get really exciting... it's a free-for-all cloth diapering day. We're gonna find items around the house to use as diapers. Even the kiddos are gonna get in on the action... stay tuned!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 3

Laundry day. And, boy, did I pick a great one for hanging my dipes out to dry. FYI- thunderstorms and tornadoes do NOT make for good laundry-drying weather! So, now my laundry is all over the dining room.

So, my sweet husband made me a camp-style bucket washer (thanks, sweetie!). We put it to good use today doing 3 loads of dipes! I learned a valuable lesson: just because you happen to have enough dipes to do laundry every two days doesn't mean you should wait that long. Only a handful of flats fit in the bucket, so I ended up washing, rinsing, ringing, and hanging for almost 2 hours! I can't help but look forward to Monday when I can go back to my washer and dryer, but then I remember how fortunate I am to have that option. I am really learning a lot from this challenge- I'm soooo glad I decided to participate!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 2

Today, I focused on diapering with receiving blankets. I had previously gone to a thrift store and had gotten a stash of flannel receiving blankets for 78 cents a piece. I'm sure I could've found them cheaper at yard sales, etc... but it was the middle of winter when I purchased these. The hardest challenges that I've found with diapering with blankets are: 1) Not all of them are perfect squares (and, therefore, hard to fold), 2) Snappis don't grab the flannel that well, and 3) They are too thick for pins. Enter the pinless nappy fold. I LOVE this fold, not only for it's handiness, but also for the thickness of the layers in the 'wet zone.' It is really working well for us! I used a Mother-Ease cover today in the hopes that there would be adequate air flow on her little tushie during this very warm day.

I'm also storing up my funny stories from this Challenge! Today, we went to our pediatrician (who is also a dear friend). I stripped Elie Kate down and turned to get another flat from the bag. Before I could get the clean one on, she peed all over her sister who had lovingly picked her up in an attempt to be helpful. I think the whole staff was appalled! Thankfully, our ped took it in stride. As did my eldest. Good thing she loves her baby sister!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge- Day 1

I had an unexpected challenge today- a sick, cranky baby. Thankfully, I had used flats since Elie Kate was about a month old, so I had practiced some with the folds. That baby was NOT wanting Mommy to play around today!

I used mostly bamboo terry squares that I had cut and serged myself for the first Challenge day. These can run about $10 a piece when bought pre-made, so this thrifty mama decided to try to make them myself. I like bamboo because it is so absorbent, soft, and stretchy, and I can almost always get a good fit. It can be pinned with a diaper pin, but the nifty little contraption that I used to hold it together is called a Snappi. No worries about sticking a baby with that bad boy! I covered the diaper today with a Rump-a-Rooz one size cover. Thankfully, we were able to get the whole day out of the cover!

I used the origami fold today, which is a nice fold with extra absorbency in the middle for those heavy-wetters (like my gal). I am also having to use inserts that I cut from a fleece blanket to keep her dry because she has very sensitive skin and will get a rash pretty quickly. She is now heading off to bed in her heavy-dooty overnight dipe, so we'll have more flat fun tomorrow! Oh, and a HUGE shout-out to my pal, Brooke Tobey, for using her wonderful technology to help me get these blog pics up! Thanks!!!!

It's Not Easy Being Green... or, Maybe It IS!

Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to take care of the earth. Even before I knew what taking care of the earth was all about. I planted seeds, cared for flowers and animals, loved nature hikes and just being outdoors. When I was in Junior High, my family began recycling. It was just something we did- I didn't realize that it wasn't 'normal.' I guess you could say we were "green" long before "green" became a popular thing.

Fast forward a few years... My husband and I felt like doing our part to take care of the earth was something we needed to do to be good stewards of everything God has given us. We know that this world will one day pass away. We know this is not our 'forever' home. But it doesn't mean we can trash it and do whatever we please. So, we recycle. We compost. We garden. We reuse. And, we cloth diaper. YES... WE USE CLOTH DIAPERS. And WE LOVE IT!!!!

We live in a day and age where there are so many options for cloth diapering! There are fabulous prints and colors, styles and types, with many chic and trendy options. These are NOT your grandmother's cloth diapers (although I prefer a good prefold with a wool cover!). Gone are the days of the stinky diaper pail. No more dunking and swishing (unless you choose)!

There are many reasons we chose to use cloth. Mostly for the environment, but we will save about $2000 from birth to potty training by using cloth diapers, and $800 by using cloth wipes. That's a whole lotta moolah for this family on a budget! However, the 'start-up' costs can be overwhelming. We were blessed to have loved ones give us money and diapers to start our stash, but what do low-income families do when they don't have the money to build their stash? What if they don't have a washer and dryer? Enter "The Flats and Handwashing Challenge" by Dirty Diaper Laundry. From May 23-30, I will be using only flat squares of fabric and 5 covers to diaper my baby (except for nights). I will be handwashing and air-drying. And, I will be documenting my experience each day for you all! You'll hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly (but hopefully mostly good!). I'm not the greatest about linking and posting videos, but I'll try my best to give you an accurate account of my challenge. So, HERE WE GO!!!!

Kathleen is my Middle Name

The first Kathleen stepped into my life at a time when I needed her most. She was wanting to conceive a child, and it just had not happened yet. I was wanting to conceive a child, and I was going through tests and treatments to try to make that happen. Month after month I would be hopeful as I waited. And month after month I would feel those "before" cramps, and I knew. My hopes would come crashing down around me. Kathy had such a way of cheering me up. She was funny, loud, and just plain jovial! Then, one day she wasn't so jovial. She proceeded to tell me that she had felt a sizable lump in her breast that the doctor wanted to check out. We discovered that her cancer was stage 4 by the time it was found and diagnosed. Within months, she reunited with her Jesus in Heaven. But, during those months she taught me so much about life. She taught me to take deep breaths and take in God's wonder as we learned to paint together. She taught me to laugh even when it hurt. She allowed me to care for her and massage cream into the burns that radiation had caused. She leaned on me to walk, and I leaned on her to help heal my heart. I was there at her deathbed when she gasped for breath, and I felt her peace as she went home.

When I hold my Kathleen in my arms, my prayer is not for her to experience a pain-free life. My prayer is that she stands with grace, honor, and dignity as did the first Kathleen. And, maybe, just maybe, she'll bless a few friends along the way.

SURPRISE!!!!

As promised... the rest of the story: When we decided to homeschool, I never imagined the twists and turns this year would take. I have suffered with endometriosis for many years, and we were looking at going ahead and having a hysterectomy or trying more treatment options. WELL, there was a little something that prevented any of those measures. Just a "little" something that would change our whole world. After 13 years of infertility, I found out I was pregnant! Even as I'm typing this I'm remembering some of the funny details that took place: calling my sister while I was buying my 3rd and 4th pregnancy tests, my husband not speaking for 3 DAYS, videotaping our parents' reactions to the news, laughing with pure joy in our Bible Study! God sure has a sense of humor! Well, it was a rough, high-risk pregnancy with many ups and downs during those loooooong 9 months, but we trusted and prayed a LOT along the way. After 32 hours of labor, we were blessed with our miracle- Elenore Kathleen Grindean (aka- Elie Kate)! She has brought so much joy to our whole family. It's like she was meant to be here all along.

As a young married couple so many years ago, we often pictured our lives with children. The journey of infertility is a heart-breaking (and sometimes desperate) one. When we trusted the LORD with our family, he sent us two beautiful gifts that we KNEW were from Him... two beautiful children that bring us joy every day! Adoption has become such a passion of ours. Only God can knit together a family that bridges races, ethnicities, and varying backgrounds. And, likewise, only God can open the scarred womb of a 34-year-old woman and bring uncontrollable laughter to her lips. He, indeed, is worthy of so much more praise than I could ever give Him!

Macho, Macho Man

Ming Hong is our "Macho Man." He always wants to be the strong, powerful character in play and in real life. But, he sometimes misses the mark... He's a character, all right (in every sense of the word)! He will be in kindergarten in the fall, and is eager to soak-up everything he is learning (and is quick to let you know EVERY detail)! He is a self-proclaimed 'thenius' ('genius'- still developing in speech). We're still working on the humble-in-spirit and meek-shall-inherit-the-earth concepts!

Our Journey Continues...

OK... we're going to have one more "go" at this. It's been a year-and-a-half, and life keeps getting crazier! This post will be an update on Adia. She is now 7 years old! We have begun the journey of homeschooling this year, and we love it! We prayed long and hard about this decision, and felt like with her special needs and our desire to breathe God's Word into every aspect of our family's life, that homeschooling was a good fit. We had some unforeseen "circumstances" that made for a very difficult school year (more on that in another post), but we made it through. Her standardized test scores more than tripled, and we are so much closer as a family. She is growing up so fast that I can't help but love to spend EVERY available moment I can with her. There will be more posts about homeschooling resources and our journey through school because I want to share with anyone who is even THINKING about homeschooling to have some readily-available information. Come journey with us...