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Yummy- NO SUGAR ADDED, all natural fruit bar

loves from Mama Bear

Kiss kiss

Im a movie staaar

happy baby

tackling Mama

More tackling…

throwing the ball

Daddy is teasing me

her favorite book

more reading

the cutest cloth diapered booty ever

hey, what’s under here?
You lookin’ at me?

Hey, watch this!

A post of many things….

It has been so very long since i have blogged, and I am sorry about that.  We have been pretty busy-excuse typos, my typing skills seem to have decreased somehow.  I will fix the typos later.


Last week my mom was here, for 5 days.  It was a jolly good time; she had some quality time with Lexie.  Then this week J.Tom went out of town with business, so it was just me, the furry babies, and Lou Bug.  Boy, you don’t realize how much you husband helps until he is gone.  I don’t just mean with diapering and food, I mean with loving Lexie.  She was a different child this week while he was gone- now, she is cutting her stomach teeth, the bottom two next to the center, so I attribute part of her behavior to that- but she has been so fussy and clingy.  While I was talking to J.Tom on the phone last night, it dawned on me that he spends a LOT of time with her during the day.  He usually gets her from the crib, changes her diaper and takes off her night clothes, then we play in our bed for about 30-45 minutes before he gets ready for work.  Then he sees her at lunch and they play that whole hour, and then for an hour after work he usually sits down with her and plays.  So that is a LOT of quality daddy time she missed out on this week and apparently it makes a BIG difference for her.


Which I understand-it makes a big difference for me, too.  It was the first time he has been gone that long in a while and I missed him a lot (although I didn’t mind not cooking!).
—————–
So, this part of this blog is about living more simply.  I have always wanted to lessen what we have but thought I was too busy to do it.  Not only does it makes sense living off less , but I think we are all too caught up in material things.  So often we get rid of things so we can replace them with more things…  All of these things cost money and time and usually just collect dust somewhere.  It costs money to buy things, time to take care of or clean them, and usually cost even more money to use them.  Cleaning other people’s houses makes me want to get rid of stuff and clutter.  You know those houses you see in magazines that are so pretty and crisp?  You know why they look pretty and crisp?  Because there is not a lot of junk– and everything has a place. There is this four person family who has outgrown their home.. it is a big home FULL of junk.  I mean stuff doesn’t even make sense, things are just thrown in closets and cabinets…  As a matter of fact, I bet she could not tell you half of what is in every closet.  HELLO- THAT IS TOO MUCH CRAP, at least for me it is.


Anyways, so I want to live more simply.. only have clothes I need, not just a bunch of clothes I want because theyre trendy or cute.  I know there will always be an occassional fun splurge or shopping spree; sometimes this can become habit forming, a weekly activity for people.  And we teach this, right?  I mean we teach our children when they are young to go out a shop when they’re bored or sad.  Maybe we teach them to eat iceream to feel better.  Whatever.  But maybe if we wiped all those things out we would be happier.  Maybe, if we lived off less, knowing that what we have is all we need then we would be a happier society.  (that of course excludes food)


So, I want to live off less, and this includes food.  Use less electricity, less wasteful materials, less food… I think it makes sense.  That feeling of satisfaction that everything you need you already have and everything else is just extra and not necessary.  I am going to start getting rid of something every week.  I may sell it, or take it to the Goodwill, but I want to get rid of things we don’t need or use.


As part of all this, I have begun using my very own homemade detergent.  I’ve done it before, but this time I tweaked the recipe a bit for extra cleaning power. I chose to do this for A) cost and B) I like making my own stuff because it is fun.  And think of all the plastic containers I won’t be wasting anymore… and all that money I won’t be throwing away that we can put towards Lexie’s future or a new car one day when we need it.  If you want to try it it takes only 15 minutes or so total to make a HUGE batch, and there are recipes everywhere online.  I used my friend Ginny’s version, which you can find here.  Instead of a half cup each, I did a whole cup of each ingredient.  I also have a homemade detergent for my NEW CLOTH DIAPERS!  I AM SO EXCITED!  I know, everyone thinks I am nuts, well except the people I know that cloth diaper, but I LOVE it.  I got three of these BumGenius 4.0 Snap Pocket Diapers from the cottonbabies website, and one of these FuzziBunz washed but never used, and FIVE more of the BumGenius 4.0s new but at a discount from a mom who was gifted too many-still in packages with all the inserts!  I AM SO EXCITED!  Oh, and i got a free cover with my first purchase, so I picked up a few birds eye cloths at Walmart and will double those with some of the extra inserts that came with the others and wala!  Cloth diapering mama right here!  Cloth diapering is not like it used to be- we did it today with 2 poopy diapers and it was fine.  Nowadays, they make these here cloth diapers with Today, cotton diapers are made with super soft, wicking suede-cloth and microfiber and are just so dang easy.  Not only are they SO CUTE on Lexie and her chunky self, but it is cheaper than buying disposables- after using cloth today, every time I put a ‘sposie in the trash I feel like I just threw away part of her college fund.

Speaking of which, we have a Lexie college fund, feel free to donate  =)  haha  jk (no I’m not)  We will use disposables at school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but that is it.  At night I will add and extra insert in her CD (cloth diaper) after I get the rest of them in the mail.  The rest are all being shipped today and tomorrow so they should be here next week!  Yes, the investment in CD is a little on the steep side, $200+ (eventually, I am a bargain shopper so I will try to save as much as possible within reason), but they are so worth it when you consider the average family spends $1500+ on disposables per child.  And there are all those landfills we will not be contributing to, AND I won’t literally throw money in the trash can 10 times a day.  There is a cost break down here and here.  Also, my original reason for wanting to cloth diaper, which began before she was born, is that all those terrible icky chemicals will no longer be on my sweet baby’s bottom!


Also, I am a project person.  As my friend Whitney would say, we are P-4 Majors (early childhood education majors) and always need some kind of project to keep us busy.  I make baby food, clean house, and now stash cloth diapers.  “stash”- isn’t that word fun?  That is what we CD mom’s call it, “our stash of cloth diaper.”  bahaha  No really, I am in love with the homey idea of CDing, but I also realize it is extra work.  Lucky for me I don’t mind extra work; somehow I manage to get everything done and still rest a bit during the day and play on my ipad2.  So no complaints.  And Lexie of course get plenty of attention and love because I do it all while she is napping, usually.  But, like what I did tonight was throw everything in the wash after she is in the bed and I am just iPadding, and it will all be ready tomorrow!


Oh- I am going to post a “monthly calendar” at the end of each month listing everything Lexie has done and important family events.  So here is the Calendar for June:


12- first taste of organic blueberry greek yogurt- LOVES IT
14- we put a for sale sign in our yard
15- 9 month shots, didn’t even flinch let alone shed a tear (love those chunky legs!)
16- first steps!!!!!
17- stopped nursing
19- says duck
20- definitely done nursing
24- steps to Susie
       eats first kiwi
       eats yummy sauteed veggies!
25- says MAMA!!!!!!!!!
       Mia worked on blowing kisses, and she did a few times… but has stopped.
28- waves hi and bye every time she sees you
30- says “hi” all the time
Sometime in the last week of June she finally cut the top two teeth on either side of the center two (eye teeth?).  YAY  But now she is working on those bottom two, and it is miserable.. as always.


I have started July’s calendar, can’t wait to see what all she accomplishes this month!

pushing her car-she loves the horn!

Loves for Mr. Bear

Cindy Lou Hoo

Prettiest baby girl ever?  Yes

Daddy’s (first) Father’s Day

First carrot from our garden this year- hrmm

Yep, it’s a keeper Mama!

Helping Mama clean while Daddy powerwashes the walk way

Hey, I was playing with that!

Hi!

This is how I found Scarlet one morning while J.Tom was gone

Hi Daddy!

silly girl

Ta da!

Lexie and Mama at the lake

Rar, Mr. Bear

Yummy- grapes and watermelon for snack

talking to Daddy
Pretty Baby
Hi

loves for Daddy

Loves for Mr. Bear (some more)

Trying to stand up



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