College and Grad School

So, I dropped out of college in Spring Semester 2012. I was an officer for a student organization called "Attitudes" (a dance org) and was choreographing and dancing in the end of year performance, but I was working a ton, we were planning a move to Florida and I've never particularly liked going to classroom classes, I prefer online. I spoke to my department head about trying to make it work from a different state, but it really seemed unlikely.

SO, I have been looking into online classes at Ashford University and SNHU and they both have European History classes which is what I want to do. I am hoping to apply early in 2015 and maybe start in the fall of that year doing one class a semester, and then hopefully once Jesse graduates I can move to full-time.

Jesse just had his first week of grad classes and even though it's great he only has to go 2 days a week, we can already tell it's gonna mix things up quite a bit.

I am so, so proud of him. He has been talking a bit with one of his professors about a research opportunity, is doing a pretty good job so far keeping up with things/ finding time for readings and such between work and family stuff. And he also just nabbed an ideal shadowing opportunity he needed for class. Psychology is what he is passionate about and it shows. He is going to thrive in this atmosphere, surrounded by great professors, academic opportunities and surrounded by others passionate about the same things. So happy for him :)

Anyhoo, this is why I've been MIA this past month. It's been a struggle finding last minute finances for things he needs, getting everything together, etc. Also I feel like I am being so lazy! It's like I'm in a standstill waiting to move to a new place. We're hoping to leave mid November and I'm so ready to change things up. For one, I don't feel comfortable in our current surroundings. Our porch is disgusting, there has been crap floating in the pools here and they has to install cameras at the local park due to car break-ins and criminals running from the cops. No joke. So, I'm not about to head out to any near-by locations with my little guy so he and I are both stir crazy and I just can't stop daydreaming about all that extra space for him to run around in. 

We are taking a big road trip in less than 3 weeks now though so hopefully that will help :)

Well that's all my blabbing for today, I'll post more fun stuff next haha

TTFN <3

19 months...

I had to bribe him with a Graham Cracker....

"Catch me if you can, Mom! Your toddler may be on the go from morning ’til night as her energy level and desire to explore collide in a whirlwind of perpetual motion. Your mission is to provide lots of opportunities for safe physical activity, both indoors and out. Some little ones like a slower, quieter pace and that’s fine; a mellow toddler may tend toward drawing, puzzles, or listening to stories, so give her what she wants, Mom, and embrace her individuality. And speaking of individuality, keep in mind that some kids may be chattering away by now while others have fewer words in their verbal repertoire. Try not to worry or compare, as some late talkers don’t bloom linguistically until age two (check with your pediatrician if you’re truly concerned). At this stage, it’s wise to update your childproofing efforts every month or two to keep up with your child’s new abilities, (like opening cabinets and climbing stairs). Plus, lots of toddlers this age are prone to daytime wandering (it’s time for a “streets smarts 101” lesson) as well as night wandering (try a gate across her doorway). Other toddler sleep problems include night waking and snoring (generally harmless, but check with your doc to be sure there’s no medical cause). And even though your tot is still focused on “me, me, me!” you can start to lay the groundwork for how to be a friend. First lessons include sharing and cooperating and using words instead of physical aggression to work out disagreements. There’s a lot to learn, but you’re a great teacher!"

--Whattoexpect.com

I just can't get over how smart this kid is, he amazes me every day. His mischievousness is ridiculously frustrating but totally endearing all at the same time.

He is learning to use a fork, has mastered regular straws, is using the railing and going down stairs well, he is starting to do things like balance on one leg and go up on his tippy toes, still following instructions really well and saying words here and there. He babbles a ton in multisyllable bursts so it's clear he's pretty close to just talking non-stop all day long ;) 

My aunt sent Andrew a shirt from the local store back home :)

The GMO Revolution

This whole GMO thing has been fairly new knowledge for me. A friend of mine had her little boy early on during my pregnancy and posted a lot about organic food, products, etc. I had found the Babyganics product line, and was using their products, along with Seventh Generation for cleaning with Andrew and she and I discussed how great it was that products like that were available for our little ones. Later on, I noticed she had RSVPed to a "March against Monsanto" event. After looking at what they were about and what they were doing, I signed us up for the Tampa rally.

So, one Saturday morning, we packed up Andrew and headed out. All I can say is that it was the coolest thing I have ever been a part of. Upon arriving we were a little confused and unsure what was going on, but everyone was super friendly and welcoming. We were given 2 T-Shirts for about $5 (They were made by one person and he was giving them away for whatever you had to spare). People had brought extra signs, so we were given a few. Water was being passed around, people offering sunscreen, face painting, etc.

Soon we got started. It was a HUGE long walk with chanting things like "Hell No Gmo", and passing out flyers. They had water stations every so often and the police kindly showed up to make sure we could cross all the crosswalks safely. They were also very nice and helpful and were thanked by almost everyone as we walked. At the end we stopped in a park where local organic restaurants showed up with plates of GMO free food that was delicious! People gave each other rides back to their cars, played music, etc. It was so peaceful and just a really neat experience in general.

All I can say is that the benefits of eating all organic/ GMO free waaaayyyy outweigh any of the cons. Yes, it's a bit harder to find (though getting easier all the time) and it can be expensive (though I have done cost comparisons and really there are very few items that are more expensive). It is better and safer for you and your children to be eating organic/ GMO free and if we can do it on $100 or less a week for three people and be eating comfortable, most people can afford it. Even WIC will let you use your $10 for veggies and fruits on organic stuff.

IF we can make an effort to be buying more organic food not only are we supporting our local economies more, but organic food will be easier to get and cheaper. With Monsanto holding organic seeds hostage, it's very hard for organic farmers to do what they do, but they do it for us and the planet. So why not support them?

Check out the event page here! -- please commit to buying your groceries for the week/ month, etc all organic/ GMO free on November 30th, 2014. After Black Friday on Friday, Small Business Saturday the day after, we can add 'Save the Food Sunday' on the end.

List of GMO free brands to buy -- not as hard to find as you may think! Even Ben and Jerry's is on the list! :)

http://www.gmofilm.com/

Interview with the GMO OMG director:

"There are two sides to every debate, what would you tell the naysayers who are in support of major companies like Monsanto and GMOs?"

"You may support them, but they couldn't care less about you. Because, at the end of the day, these companies aren’t concerned about you or the earth, about sustainability and farmers, they care about profit. Whatever they can do to secure more profit, they will do. They spend millions convincing us, and the farmers they are bleeding dry, that we need them and that they have our best interest at heart. It’s propaganda, not science. And if the naysayers naysay these facts as my own fiction and the passions of a misinformed dunce, I would point to the hard facts about GMOs turning up every day around the world. No increased yield, no drought tolerance, no flood resistance, no sustainability, not practical or affordable for smallholder farmers in most places in the world. The growing evidence cannot be ignored. Unless, in fact, the naysayers are really blind believers unwilling to face the truth."

Mommy Brain. It's a thing.

Thoughts from a day with the little man:

*Wake up, eyes fly open*

"Oh no, did I oversleep?? Is Andrew awake? How long has he been awake??..... Oh, he's still quiet. Okay."

*Shut eyes.....5 seconds later open eyes*

"Wait, why is he still quiet? Is he okay? I'm sure he is. He's probably just still asleep. But what if he's not?? Oh my gosh, calm down. I'm sure he's fine, just get a few more minutes rest."

*Shut eyes.... 5 seconds later they fly open again*

"Nope, I need to go check."

*After the above, go into munchkin's room and open the door to see his huge smile and excited noises*

"Awww, he's such a cutie! I love when he's so happy in the morning. Maybe he'll be really good today and we can go to the park and play with puzzles together and..."

*...Mid-thought as I am lowering him to the changing pad on the floor he begins flailing, throwing his head back, and upon setting him down begins kicking his legs and throwing his arms all over the place.*

"Oh. It's going to be one of THOSE days. *deep breath* Okay, I can do this."

*During lunch, he's halfway through his food and is starting to fall asleep while chewing*

"Awww, he's so sleepy. That's adorable. He's going to nap so well after this! Oh no... buddy, PLEASE FINISH CHEWING before you pass out!!!"

*Immediately after lunch, wiping off with a warm cloth and a pretty easy/ happy diaper change, I begin his nap routine of turning on the fan, letting him turn on the music, etc. He flings himself into the crib*

"Haha! I knew he'd be happy about this. He's so happy to be tucked in and --"

*Starts trying to flip over and stand up with a new burst of energy*

"-- uh oh, I spoke too soon. Here just let me - No just lay - stay on your back buddy - oh my gosh, fine! I am going to tuck him in tight and RUN."

*After a while of crying or babbling, throwing stuff around, etc., he finally makes a few sleepy moans and passes out*
"Oh thank God. Now I can nap, too!"

*During playtime shortly before bed, peacefully watching him play with his trains and bus on the table when he turns slightly and is examining something on his finger. His hand starts moving to his mouth... run full out over to him*

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, WHAT did you put in your mouth?!? Where is it???"

*After pulling him over, holding his arms down and prying open his mouth to search, while he screams and cries in protest, and I can't find anything*

"Okay, okay. He's not choking...."

*Let him up, he runs away and keeps playing. I watch him like a hawk for a while*

"He seems okay. Please let that have just been a stray Puff."

*Putting him in his pajamas right before bed*

"Look at him putting his arms in by himself, and stepping into his pants. What a good boy, he's learning so much. Okay, just brushing his teeth and then it's bedtime."

*Get him into position and bring out the toothbrush. Instant chaos ensues*

"OOOOHHHH MY GOSH. How is he so strong??? Open your mouth, buddy, I'm almost done. Holy moly he can keep his mouth clamped shut. Oh man, am I hurting him? I'm trying so hard to be gentle.... Ugh, I wish I could do this faster. Why does he have to hate this so much?? Okay, done. I'm so sorry buddy, trust me I hate it too. SO MUCH."

*Put him to bed and grab a beer go to bed myself/ retreat to the bedroom for any other work I have left. I'm tired, I'm sore, and I'm mentally exhausted*

Crazy thing? I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow (and maybe even learn things from today to make tomorrow easier!). Ah, motherhood. :)

<3

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Toddlers in Camo

I don't know about y'all, but I am in love with camo toddler clothing. I just think it is the cutest. A doesn't actually have any pieces in camo but I'm hoping to remedy that quickly here, hehe :)

Camo cargo shorts

Camo cargo pants

Cadet Hat

Overalls

Camo PJs!

Belt

Camo vest

Canvas jacket

Short sleeve Henley top

I just can't get enough.

In honor of all the camo goods, I wanted to also share this link: SoldiersAngels.org.

It is this fantastic website where you can donate, help out or "adopt" a soldier. I did this for a few years in college, and am hoping to start up again this fall. You send one care package a month (they send you all the packing materials), and a letter or card each week. You may not get anything back but it is a wonderful way to let the soldiers know we are thinking of them, and a great way to support the men and women serving our country <3

Toddler Fashion part two

A's apartment-hunting outfit, haha! This is something we would put him in for church or music class mostly. It's pretty loose and seems comfortable but I like putting him in shorts and a tee more for playdates, going to the park, etc.

The top is actually a polo onesie we purchased at Kohls, similar here. Overalls are OshKosh. They were a gift so I'm not sure where they were purchased, but you can find similar overalls here.

And ohhhhh my goodness, can we pause a minute to swoon over the adorable overalls OshKosh has?? I know what I'll be buying more of! LOL

Cloth Diapering!

For us, the decision was fairly simple. 

We, like a lot of folks we imagined, didn't exactly look forward to having to wash out diapers or scrape poo off them but the savings way outweighed the gross bits in our minds. My husband was a tad bit more resistant about the extra effort but he is now a believer!

Andrew goes through about 3-5 cloth diapers a day at 18 months. We change him between 2 and 4 hours based on need and use a disposable at night because that kid can create a lake in 12 hours.

While about 5% of the time using cloth diapers can be kind of.... for lack of a better word, 'icky'.... it really is better, in our minds, for the kid as well as our wallets. We only have 10 cloth diapers so I do end up doing laundry about every other day but our water bill is only $30. One package of disposable diapers is $28 and even if that includes 98 diapers, that can be gone in about 2 weeks. So paying $30 for all of our water needs monthly and then buying one package of Luvs every few months is really ideal for our family. It save us close to $60 a month.

We didn't shop around honestly. I had heard wonderful things about Fuzzibunz diapers and went ahead and ordered a three pack before the little man came along. We loved them right off the bat-- they are 'One Size Elites' so with all the snaps and the extra elastic they provide, they last forever. We have not changed any elastic but Andrew has been using them now for just about 16 months. And even after the close to 240 washings, they are holding up GREAT. Still have their color, are still soft, still function perfectly, absorb well and aren't stained. 

Though we have not tried other brands, I have heard great things about BumGenius, Little Monster, 'G', etc. We have just never felt the need to try anything different. 

We did have some trouble with leakage when Andrew was very small because his thighs were so thin there was a gap between his leg and the fabric, but pretty soon he plumped up a bit and they fit perfectly. Today he wears the legs on the loosest snap but still has a ways to go on the waist snaps. And if the legs get too snug, we have the extra elastics provided! They also come with two pads per diaper, one short one long. We used to just use the long ones but once he got bigger and started drinking more, we doubled up the pads in each diaper (one short, one long). While it seems a little bulky to the eye, it fits perfectly, is great for absorbing and let's face it, what baby doesn't look adorable with some "junk in the trunk"?!? Also, extra padding for all those falls, haha.

Another great aspect is the lack of chemical burns and diaper rashes. We noticed that Andrew gets diaper rashes very easily in disposables. And other than in extreme cases (like long period of time in the same diaper or sickness) he's never had rashes from the cloth diapers. 

All in all, we're very happy about the upsides for both us and our LO, and will definitely be ordering more Fuzzibunz next time around so we can be washing less, too!

Fuzzibunz are about $20 each, which can seem like a lot but it is a wonderful investment. Here is a breakdown of cost from their website.

Here is a link to buy their One Size Elite diapers if you want to check them out!

Well, that's all for now! TTFN! <3