H is for...

Home...there's no place like it, and we're glad to be here. Can you tell where we've been?

IGS had work in Duluth, so we and the DuMonts packed up and headed north! We found a 3 bedroom suite...who's the 3rd room for? Only our fantastic sitters--how lucky are we?!

"The Girlies", as Bj and Abby have dubbed them, came along to be extra hands and to let us have a little more freedom. They were so handy to have, and we appreciate them so much!

Hmm...here are those fat feet again...

Good friends share rocks...

H is for Handsome...
H is for hand-scrubbed...which is how I found the kitchen floor when I came home from work last Tuesday. Scrubbed with love by my Handsome Husband...

A little too much fresh air for Abby? My only theory for this expression...

What can we find??
pinecones...

and sticks!

Good friends share horses too...

We arrived Sunday afternoon...the boys worked on Monday, leaving Tuesday and Wednesday for whatever! Having the girls along allowed us to enjoy dinner sans kids twice, and Michelle and I got to spend the afternoon strolling, site seeing, shopping and chatting while the boys worked! The kids enjoyed being together, seeing new things, playing by the lake, climbing on rocks and swimming in the pool.

H is for...How the Heck did Abby grow up so quickly? We've got her preschool screening coming up in November already...suddenly school decisions are staring us in the face! Public school? Homeschool? Some of each? Can we afford any of the private schools around here? The thought of sending her to school terrifies, saddens and excites me all at the same time...now that it's a reality, I've been spending a lot of time mulling over the options, pros and cons of each scenario, puzzling over what is best for her...I just don't know. I suppose just like everything else in parenting, it just comes down to trial and error...

In other news, Alex is becoming a lot more verbal! His favorite is "NOoooooooo!"...cute the first, second, maybe even the third time--but it's quickly losing its adorability and moving him from cute to annoying at a rapid rate. Good thing he's also come up with "Mommy! Love you!"

Is it really Thursday already? Well...H is for Happy Hunting! Have a great weekend!

G is for...

uh, Gutters, of course! Gutters pretty much run our life around here...here's a job Integrated Gutter Systems, LLC completed recently...



Note the precision on the hand mitred corners? The seamless beauty? I must say, the quality of craftmanship is unparalleled! ;)

More Fair...

Here's Alex grooving to a band we watched a little of...he looooves music!

F is for...

French Fried Mushrooms and Cauliflower!

And Fruit Smoothies!

It's the FAIR!!

The Great Minnesota Get-Together...food, animals, food, rides, food, music, food, free stuff, food!! The kids loved the animals, especially the Miracle of Life exhibit--this barn is full of pregnant mamas giving birth and brand new baby animals...

Abby says the baby cow was her favorite part of the fair! He was so very sweet...so soft, his breath all warm and milky!

The horse barns were also fun! Away from the hot sun and crowds too!

The kids both had their first tastes of "rotton candy"...it was a hit!

Abby's been shopping for a pink cowgirl hat (I kid you not--no idea where she got the idea?) for quite some time...now this little lady can deck herself out in true cowgirl fashion with her pink hat and pink cowgirl boots...

We unknowingly went on the fullest day of the fair...look at all the people! Can you imagine? Bj claims that I don't see that many people in an entire year--he might be right!

It was hot, and busy and full of sooo many people, but we had a fantastic time! The kids were exhausted by 1:00, so we certainly didn't get to see even a fraction of things, but it was enjoyable none the less!

E is for...

Eggs. Fry 'em, poach 'em, boil 'em, eat 'em, throw 'em, dye 'em, hide 'em, it's all good. So are they.E is for Eldens. Here are some common varieties:

They're pretty good eggs. (poaching not recommended tho.)

Yep.

D is for...

D is for Diapers!! Cloth diapers to be exact! Today, (lucky you!) you get to receive a little tutorial on the wonders of cloth diapers! A growing phenomenon, there's an entire underworld devoted to the production, sale, trade and use of cloth diapers! I'm so happy I stumbled into it--for one, who wouldn't love to put these fantastic colors and designs on their baby's booty, as opposed to the plain white paper dipes? They're adorable! I don't have a very showy diaper stash, but even the plainest cloth dipes are cuter than 'sposies! Love these colors?

I'm not a huge environmentalist, BUT, Jesus did teach us to be good stewards of what we have, and I believe that extends to our earth. Some researchers place disposable diapers as taking up as much as 15% of our landfills! (But most say it's around 2-5%) That's quite a bit. Also, it says RIGHT ON THE DIAPER BOX (I couldn't get a good picture, but next time you're at the store, check it out.) that human waste belongs in the sewage system, not the dumps--we're supposed to dump the poo out of even disposable dipes before disposing of them--but who does?? (It's actually illegal in most states, just not enforced, obviously.) Some people also get up in arms about the chemicals used in the production of disposable diapers, that we're putting right on our babe's butts. So there are many reasons for cloth--my main reasons are 1) Cuteness 2) Convenience. I can't tell you how liberating it is to not have to make dashes to the store for more dipes all the time.

Ok--there's several different types of cloth dipes, but here, we're sticking with my favorites, pocket diapers. These have an outer waterproof layer called polyurithane laminate, or PUL. This is cotton that is laminated on one side--it's very soft, not crunchy or crackly. It comes in any imaginable color and print.

The dipes have either Aplix (strong velcro) or snap closure. Here is one of each:

I prefer snap, as I feel like they hold up better. Lots of people prefer the Aplix for ease of use. The inner layer of the diaper is usually fleece or suedecloth. Both of these fabrics are NOT absorbant, so the layer closest to baby's skin stays relatively dry.

This also comes in any color imaginable!

Pocket diaper get their name because they have an opening between the inner and outer layers. This pocket holds the insert--usually microterry or hemp--which does the actual absorbing work.

When the diaper is changed, I remove the insert for washing and throw the whole lot into a "wet bag"--this is a waterproof bag made of the same material (PUL) as the outside of the diaper. When the wetbag is full, I dump the whole lot of it into the wash, run a rinse cycle, then a regular wash on hot. Only a small amount of detergent is used because build up can affect the absorbance of the dipe. A giant NO NO in cloth diapers is fabric softener--this coats the diapers, making the inserts completely unabsorbant. If this happens, you'll have "wicking", which means the insert is not sucking up the pee, and it leaks to the outside of the diaper.

There are thousands of cute diapers, and some moms are willing to pay LOTS for diapers--it's a little bit like baseball cards...cloth diapers are hunted, collected, traded and sold. I've seen diapers go for literally hundreds of dollars in auctions. The hub of cloth diaper activity takes place at http://www.diaperswappers.com/ and http://www.hyenacart.com/. Check them out, you'll be amazed!

Diapers can be embroidered, painted, stenciled, appliqued, you name it--it's done. There are hundreds and hundreds of options! A plain, non-embellished pocket diaper generally runs from $10-$20, depending on brand. A complete stash is considered about 24 diapers (I'm too cheap and have never had more than 14--this has me washing at least every other day.). Although many women get into it to save money (it does in the long run), they often get caught up in all the cute options--one online friend of mine has over 50 diapers. The good news is that they hold their value very well and can be resold for close to what you paid.

Ok--I could go on and on and on, but I won't. Hmmm...what's E??

New Banner!! (again)

Haha, yeah, I'm futzing around with stuff again. It's a little too long I guess...I'll fix it later!