We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Though the air was brisk, we headed off to Ice Cream Junction (forever known to us as Kool Kone) for a late evening ice cream cone with my parents and sister.

Baylor got his own kiddie cone ... what a happy boy!


He still doesn't quite have the proper technique down, but I'm sure he'll get there in no time.

Yes, he's smiling. Yes, that cone's gonna drip.

Then it was time to run off the sugar!

Whoa!

Mollie stayed safely out of the wind, all cozy and snug.

I just love how he runs around with such wild abandon!

Time to inspect the fence.

The air was cold but the smiles were warm, and we all had a blast watching Baylor dive into his first ice cream cone!

Cloth Diapering Saga: Part 2

Our initial foray into cloth diapering was a little frustrating, in part because we had purchased so few diapers that I couldn't get into a rhythm with it. So, I did a little more research, got a little more advice, and found a store in town with a wider selection of cloth diapering supplies.

After an hour-and-a-half visit to Hop Scotch, I came home with a bunch of new diapers to try.

In the photo above: a Mother-ease recycled fleece diaper for Baylor to try, a cover for said diaper, bamboo doubler (since we were trying that for him at night), Osocozy infant prefolds, Bummis Super Brite diaper cover, Bummis fleece liners (for a stay-dry feeling for Miss Mollie), and some awesome instructions. Not pictured: a set of Snappis.

Here is one of the prefolds unfolded.

Yeah, and instead of having to wash the prefolds a million times to try to make them absorbent, they suggested boiling them for 10 to 15 minutes then washing them once. SO much easier! (Though I have to say, our biggest pot was not nearly big enough for boiling six infant prefolds. Ugh!)

The outcome?

Well, Baylor hated the one we got for him. He wore it once, soaked the sucker, then after I got it washed he wouldn't wear it again. I think the leg holes were too small for his sizable thighs. Luckily, Hop Scotch let us return it for store credit. Whew!

As for Mollie, the cloth diapering has been going well. The Bummis cover is a bit stiff for her and has been pinching her legs a bit, so I got more Thirsties covers because they seem softer and fit better to her body. The infant prefolds are almost too small, but they'll work for now. And the Snappis really help keep the poop within the confines of the prefold.

What does that all mean?

Right now, we'll be cloth diapering for Mollie and sticking with disposables for Baylor. As much as I'd like to cloth diaper him as well, he's a bit too big for what is available these days.

More to come soon!

Awesome Toy: Melissa & Doug Clock

I thought it was about time for Baylor to have a clock of his own so he can start figuring out time, and I was hoping it would help him anticipate activities (bedtime, departure times, etc.) better. After searching high and low for the best deal on a Judy clock, I went into a local toy store to see if they had one (in part so I could avoid paying shipping). As it turns out, I found something much better than I had anticipated.

Behold the Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock!

This toy is awesome, and Baylor has been in love with it from the start. He loves pointing out the colors and shapes (including the "quatrefoil" or "clover" at 1:00) and we're starting to work on time and how to read a clock. Yesterday he successfully (and spontaneously) put the hands in the correct position and proclaimed "six o'clock"!

Anyhow, I digress. It is an awesome toy for any child and is a steal at only $12.99!

Nice and Warm

Lately Baylor has been wanting to get on the couch, pull down our chicken quilt, and get "nice and warm". He must have heard me say that because that's what he calls it.

Nice and warm.

Cloth Diapering Saga: Part 1

After a TON of research by both myself and my husband, we decided to try cloth prefold diapers with a Thirsties cover for Amalia. So, one lovely Saturday we set forth with both kids in tow to a kids' store, Gumballs and Overalls, in the nearby village of Rockford. Sadly, the knowledgeable store owner wasn't there, but I recalled enough of my previous conversation with her to patch a small trial together.

In all, we purchased three prefolds and one Thirsties cover, size small. Unfortunately, one of the prefolds we bought was a toddler size, obviously far too large for our little Mollie. Here are the goods, pre-washing.


And here they are post-washing! Amazing how a piece of cotton can change after being washed a couple times in hot water.

And here they are on our little lady! She only peed in the first diaper, and our second trial wasn't until days later. In that trial she pooped quite a bit and it snuck around the prefold and got a little on the cover.

My mom and sister happened to be there for the second trial and could tell I was wavering a bit on my grand notion to try cloth diapers. Mom, being a veteran of cloth diapers herself, then made an interesting declaration upon seeing my reaction to changing my first poopy cloth diaper.

She said, "Nicole, I just don't think you're cut out for cloth diapering."

And in my mind, a gauntlet had just been thrown. I can be as stubborn as they come, and my mom thinking I couldn't do it or wasn't "cut out" for it just made me want to do it more. Yes, I still think it is better for the environment and our family's wallet ... there's just extra incentive now to prove people wrong.

Wish me luck because I have a lot of "I told you so" coming my way if I bail!

Smiles in the Sun

Sweet Corn Days

My husband was out of town this week, so we ended up spending a lot of time with my family. With two very small kiddos I'll take all the help I can get.

Wednesday was particularly fun for the kids.

First, we played outside.

Every time Baylor walks by one of their landscape lights, he likes to touch it. Funny little man.

While dinner was being prepared, Baylor did a little drawing on himself and the paper.

Meanwhile, Mollie and Aunt Christine shared a few smiles.

Grandpa E eventually came home bearing presents from his coworker. Harry the Dirty Dog was one of the gifts ... it just happens to be one of Baylor's favorite books at my parents' house and now we'll have it at our house, too!

My mom made sweet corn for dinner, so Baylor had his first corn-on-the-cob experience. He was a little turned around at first.

But he eventually got the hang of it.

Raspberries make great finger hats!

After dinner and some more play time, Baylor got a bath in Oma's tubby!

Mollie looked on with her adorable crooked smile.

Then we went home and I got the kids to bed with relative success. Whew!

Bonding with Grandpa E

Remember this picture? Well, the other night my dad and Mollie bonded a bit just like he and Baylor did about a year and a half ago.

Thanks for being such an awesome grandpa, Dad!

Cool Mom Shoes

Ever since I had Baylor, my feet have been a little bigger than they were previously. Consequently, my already pathetic shoe collection shrank even more and I was left with very few shoes to wear on a consistent basis.

My sister's shoe collection, which I hope to post about sometime soon, has always been impressive, and she is the resident shoe-master of our family. So, who better to seek help from than the shoe guru herself? In true Christine-fashion, she didn't disappoint, helping me find these cool sneaks ... my new "cool mom" shoes.

They are from the company Simple, and they are wonderfully comfortable, something I require of all my shoes regardless of their application. One of my main criteria in these new shoes was that they be laceless, either slip-ons or velcro, and though these look like they have laces they actually have elastic to help keep them on. Because of this feature, I can wear them barefoot or with socks of varying thickness! Score!

I am so loving my new kicks ... my cool mom shoes.

Setting the Table

Baylor likes to help set the table ... and apparently now he'll do it even when it's not meal time! First he got out a spoon. As he went to put it on the table, he said, "No, no," toddled over to the drawer where we keep the place mats, and took one out. After placing it on the table, he put the spoon down, then hurried over to get out a fork. He took that to the table and said, "No, no ... napkin?"

Now, he shouldn't have been getting out silverware to begin with, but I really wanted to see where this was going, so I gave him a napkin and grabbed my camera. I'm so glad I did.

He put the napkin on the table and then put the fork on top of that, just like I've shown him when we've set the table together.


Well, not just like it ... he soon realized the napkin should be folded (because I always do that) and gave it a shot.

That didn't end well though ... he ended up shredding the napkin when he couldn't get it folded. Oh well, we'll work on that later.

Here's how he got the flatware out ... those locks are workin' great, huh?

All told he took out about two spoons and six forks ...

... one of which fell under the table and needed retrieving.

Then he said, "Stab, stab, stab!"

And he promptly found out that forks are sharp.

Such a helper!