They still sell those in stores, right?

So, I was just perusing Craigslist, and someone had a wanted post for diapers - not cloth diapers, because for me that's not even weird. Their post said they both had jobs (telling potential sellers they have money?) and that their baby was due January 27 and they wanted diapers. Maybe they were looking for free ones, but they didn't really have a request for freebies. It was all very strange to me.

I wanted to reply that I believe both Wal-mart and Target sell these diapers of which they speak. It seemed odd that buying them off Craigslist would be easier or even much cheaper, but maybe I am out of touch. I live in a bubble (the Internet) that exposes me to a certain type of local mama I rarely see since mornings I get Claire on/off the bus and afternoons are for napping.


I'm feeling especially crunchy these days. In the last couple months I have had to define even the word "crunchy" to people I know IRL (I totally learned that acronym today- thanks urban dictionary! ) I spend all this time worrying about things like the goldfish that occassionally end up on Piper's highchair (grains = bad), carseat bases (apparently the car seat might fly out in a crash), and using corn syrup in holiday treats (because corn syrup is actually pretty bad stuff). These worries are really not on most parents mind. We've always been on the cloth diapers, but we now use cloth at night 100% of the time. I use cloth wipes with Piper. I really should have been on the cloth night diapers and wipes all along. None of this really has made me feel any different than say,recycling. But, I bought myself a Diva Cup last month. I officially feel like a hippie. A hippie that would mention this on the Internet (well, I'm still me, which is to say not shy).
I felt like an 8th grader again (I was a late bloomer) feeling like everyone knew something was different- in this case that I was using a menstrual cup.

I asked a friend who also uses a Diva Cup if she felt like a complete granola. She said, "yes, so I just try not to think about it." Sounds like a plan!

The apple, err banana, doesn't fall far from the tree

It's scary. I might be becoming my mother. I had some space to fill in the dehydrator, so I made some dried bananas like we used to eat (and complain about) as kids...

3 in 3

Claire's almost 4. Besides her going off to 4K (sniff, sniff), I will have stop saying my "I have three kids three & under" tagline, or will I?





At church this week a grandmotherly woman told me she had "6 kids in 6 years". Touche, old lady you have doubled me. I was thinking, I could start saying I had three kids in three years. Nice ring to it. I am not sure what this will get me, a medal, or say, a job when Piper's off to school? Probably not.

It got me thinking that mommy bragging seems to have no expiration date. I can't decide if it's really annoying (more likely), or if these bragging rights are justified. When I was in labor with Piper the woman admitting me told me she had some 4, 5, 6 children all natural births without meds. I didn't have much to respond because I wasn't really in the chatty mood and was about to have my third child sans epidural on her chair. (She was darn fast, though.) But after the fact I wondered if her colleagues in admission get sick of her telling every laboring woman that. I liked the you can do it attitude, but are her co-workers like, "your kids are 40, shut up!"

So in the spirit of bragging, I found a different yogurt recipe, and I rocked it. My kids love it more than Stonyfield (probably because they get to add honey...) Well, the recipe is from my friend Amy who pretty much has my family plus twins. So, maybe my fear with bragging should also be, there always some woman with more kids doing more!

Unless the girls turn out to be doctors like they say, then I will brag. But, I might be getting ahead of myself since Claire might be a farmer, life guard or a doctor.

We're blowing her mind

The other day I went to a local babywear's group meeting. Piper is a big one, and she only likes to face outwards when awake. She will face in when sleeping, but she is sleeping less and less. I wanted to see what other options might be out there. I had heard bad things about the crotch dangler baby carriers, but I had thought it was all physical. (and seriously how much time would a kid be in a Bjorn to have such effects?). A woman told me there is some argument that babies shouldn't face out because it is too much stimuli. I felt like a freak (already a pariah with my bottle), but I swear Piper likes to look out at her sisters. Piper is smiling. I can't read minds, but she seems quite happy, I swear.





The woman equated facing outward (rather than at my sweaty cleavage) to a newborn watching television. The infant can't process the images. I wasn't sure I was buying it, but was I wrong? This hippy had a pretty mellow and happy baby... Surprisingly, Bob was the voice of reason on this when I reported back. He said something to the effect of, "it's not like your sprinting through a fun house, it's life she is looking at!"





Either way, I'm pretty sure she is too little to be pushed on her outside swing. That's probably blowing her mind, but, man, everyone got a kick out of it...

Michele, one "L"

I read in some parenting magazine the advice that in addition to friends with kids your kids' age to maintain friendships with friends without kids and friends with older kids you admire.

Well, despite the fact I live not too far from where I grew up, I have a whole whopping two friends I ever do things with regularly. And, now my friend Michele is moving away. So, I am feeling sorry for myself. So, now what I am supposed to do fancy parenting magazine advice-giver? I am officially down a friend without kids now. She isn't moving to the moon, but I have no shortage of friends that live over an hour away.

It's kind of a bummer. Not to be vain, but I have always had a lot of friends. I am kind of lazy to make new friends, and I feel kind of like an outsider. It seems like all the cloth-diapering, greenliving, AP mommas around here like to knit, homeschool/unschool and breastfeed (don't, won't, and can't respectively). Even though I seem kind of crunchy to my friends, I am not crunchy enough to fit into the crunchy crowd. And then I feel guilty about it.

My yogurt making attempts have failed; I buy it from the store. Then I feel guilty for spending money on yogurt.

I will probably put Frontline on my dog. Then, I feel bad about the chemicals.

Seriously, I don't even know what kefir is. So chances are we won't be eating it, drinking it, or making it at home anytime soon.

I barely have it together as it is. I was late dropping the girls off AND picking them up from their playschool today. I ran into the mayor (former boss) and looked about as unkempt as possible. There was dried spit up on the baby carrier which was hanging open while I held the baby with spit up coming out of her mouth. And, that's what I hope people were looking at versus my crazy hair and casual, dated outfit.

I didn't fit in at City Hall, either.

So, am I destined to be the weird-o at library story hour trying to make friends? Maybe it's for the best since I spend most of my time chasing kids that I don't have time for making new friends anyway. How sad is that?