Tips for Cloth Diapering

As I was looking up cloth diapering, here are a few of the things I learned.

1. You can order everything from the old-fashioned cloth and diaper pin to one-size-fits-all plastic cover snap-in cloth pad-research what kind you want.  (I ordered Best Bottom diapers from nickisdiapers.com)
2. You need a special detergent, or you will get major stink problems.  Free-and-clear detergents aren't really free and clear.  You need one that really has no dyes, enzymes, brighteners, or scents.  There are cloth diaper detergent charts available on-line, and you can order the detergents on-line very easily.
3.  They have diaper sprayers that hook to your toilet line so you can wash poo off into the toilet.  (There is a video on youtube on how to make one much cheaper than buying the kits if you are a handy person)
4.  You can not use traditional diaper rash cream or the diapers will start to repel water.

Those are the most important tips I've picked up so far, and as I do this longer, I'll keep you posted with how it is going!  If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Beef Stuffed Sopaipillas

This recipe takes a little time but is very good.  To cut down on time for all of my meals, I brown six pounds of hamburger one weekend a month and freeze it in quart sized bags (approx. 1 lb in each bag).  I also dice onion in my dicer and freeze that once a month so that I have ready to use onion for recipes.  It saves LOTs of time to have part of the meal already to go.

Beef Sopaipillas

Fry Bread

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1/4 c. water

1/2 evaporated milk

oil for frying

Filling

1 lbs browned ground beef

3/4 c. onion

dash of salt

1/2 t. garlic

Sauce

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilis

1/2 t. garlic

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in water  and milk with a fork until a ball forms. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently for around 2 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Divide into four portions; pat each into a 6-1/2-in. circle.

In a large pan heat oil. Fry circles, one at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salt and garlic.

In a large saucepan, combine the soup, broth, chilies and garlic; Add cheese and cook until warm through.

Top fry bread with meat and cheese mixture!  You can also cut a slit in the fry bread and stuff the meat and cheese mixture inside, but we prefer to top it.

To save even more time, I sometimes double the cheese and meat mixtures. Then I freeze and label the leftovers so that all I have to do is make the bread on a night I'm needing something quickly.

Cloth Diapers

After months of debate and straddling the fence, I've taken the leap and started cloth diapering.  Before G was born, I had looked into cloth diapers but decided disposable diapers were worth the convenience.  After several months of emptying the Diaper Genie and seeing how much money and non-biodegradable waste was going into the dump, I started exploring cloth diapers again.
We have several friends who cloth diaper and love it so I started there asking as many questions as I could, and then I studied the surprising number of online cloth diaper choices and how to go about it (the number of kinds of cloth diapers is REALLY amazing).  I wavered back and forth for several months because disposable diapers are very convenient, and I work full time so I don't like wasting time on mundane tasks such as laundry.
Here are the things that finally made me take the leap:
-Our friends who cloth diaper LOVE it and would much rather use the cloth diapers than a disposable diaper.
-Once you pay for the cloth diapers, you can reuse them over and over for each kid.
-No more hauling diapers to town to the dumpster.
-Many people say it is easier to potty train with cloth diapers.
-Cloth diapers have made many improvements since the cloth diapers of our grandparents.

On Wednesday, I will post some of the tips I picked up from my research!

Diaper cover and insert

Back to Work

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything to my blog, and I’m very sorry.  I actually really miss writing almost everyday.  It’s the time of year I go back to school, and those of you who are teachers or have been around teachers know that as soon as August hits, it’s time to hit the school.  

The first part of August, I was just getting my room ready.  Unpacking boxes (I had to move rooms), putting up posters, running copies, and organizing for the year.  Then we had a week of inservice, and this past week was our first week with kiddos. 

Nothing says chaos better than the first few days of school especially when it’s hotter than blue blazes (no air conditioning in our building) and school releases at 1:00.  Each class is shortened so you barely have time to introduce a concept, kids are having trouble with lockers so they’re coming in at millions of different times, schedules are changing, everyone is learning the rules, and kids trying to figure out their schedules.  Teachers can spend every moment of their lives working grading, lesson planning, finding activities, figuring out technology, and worrying about this kid or that problem.

Any way, that is why I haven't been blogging lately.  I am going to try to do a little better in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog on our switch to cloth diapers!!!! 

Trisomy Thursday-Great Baby Sitters

Having a child with Down syndrome gives every decision a new level for consideration.  Babysitting is one of those considerations.  I've had many people tell me how much kids with Ds like and need social interactions of kids their age and how they pick up skills from watching older kids.  On the other hand, kids get lost in the number kids in daycare and don't get as much attention and time.  
G can take up to an hour eating a bottle, and I want her working on the skills physical therapy and speech show us so I decided against the normal daycare setting.  We've been blessed with truly AMAZING sitters, and G is thriving (even the doctor's say so).  Our minister's wife watches her several days a week, and this school year, we have a girl from our church coming into our home so G can be with her own things several days a week.  Both ladies are patient, compassionate, God-loving women who work with G on her skills, read to her, sing to her, and play endlessly.  One of the ladies will be taking her to story hour once a week so G can see other kids.  I also plan on getting together with my friends who have kids so G can see what other kids are doing.

Talking to Girls

I read a really interesting article this morning that made me really evaluate how I talk to girls.  This is the link to the article, How to Talk to Little Girls.
I have a friend who has ten year old daughter, and when I recently saw her, what did I compliment her on? Her hair.  She's a brilliant girl who is in the gifted program, loves to read, loves animals, and is very adventurous.  I could have had a really interesting conversation with this little girl, but instead just gave her a compliment on something as passing as nice topknot.  I know how our society pushes little girls to grow up to fast and just be pretty faces, but it took this article to really make me evaluate how I talk to girls.
As a teacher, I see little girls in full faces at make up at fourth and fifth grades, wearing padded bras as soon as they need a bra, being taken on dates in elementary school, worrying about how fatty lunch is, and by sixth and seventh grade making sure the boys do better than them so they can get a boyfriend.  This really makes me sad to see these girls paint on a face and shut the door on their brains and dreams.
The article says we should be asking girls what they are reading, what they want to do when they grow up, current events, and other things that will really get a conversation going.
Every girl likes to be complimented on how she looks and wants to look pretty, but we can't just make it all about pretty.  Let's take Lisa Bloom's challenge and find out something interesting about the girls we run across!

Here are a few questions:
"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"  "Why"
"What's your favorite subject in school?"
"If you could learn about anything what would it be?"
"Where all have your shoes taken you this week?"
"What's your favorite thing to eat?"
"How do you feel about....(some current event going on)?

Mommy's Day Out

I LOVE being a mommy, and I have LOVED every minute of getting to spend the summer with G.  BUT.....she does make it much more difficult to shop.  Walking around a mall and spending hours trying on clothes doesn't have nearly the same appeal.
A friend suggested we leave our little ones in Daddy daycare and go to the outlet mall three hours away in Colorado.  We loaded up with her oldest daughter early in the morning for a girls' day out.    It was really nice to shop, chat, and relax.  My friend is really good at making good conversation so the three hour trip didn't seem very long at all.  We did both worry about how our little ones were faring with the daddies.
My friend calls to see how it was going at her house.  Her husband informs her that he has taken the kids to the activities center, the library, the museum, and was having a water balloon fight.
I call my husband worried that G is giving him fits.  He informs me that she had already taken two hour and a half long naps (for me she takes a couple of 20 minute naps and one longer nap).   He'd also had no poopy diapers (the day before I'd gotten three, and I've already gotten one this morning).  Other than that they'd played, sang, worked on standing, and were having a great day.  He also called excitedly to ask if it was normal for her to be sitting in her crib after being laid down for a nap.   No!!!! Not normal!!!!  She had sat up all by herself for the first time for him, and he thinks he heard her say da.  I may have to go shop more often!

A Case of the Mommies

I'm lucky enough to have had a couple of months of being home with my daughter over summer break.  For most of the break, it's been just us all day, every day.  It's been incredibly wonderful to get to see all the changes and spend so much quality time together, but my daughter has caught a case of the mommies.  She really wants me to snuggle her, feed her, play with her, and not pass her off to all the open arms of friends and family (unless I'm nearby so she can see or hear me).  Secretly (or not so secretly anymore), I love having her want me around so much.  I love being the one who can comfort her and make her feel safe.
With school getting ready to start, I've taken her to the babysitter's house a couple of times.  This has resulted in fits of wailing, scrunched up faces, and super pouty bottom lips.  She can screw her face into the saddest looking little face you've ever seen.  It breaks my heart to leave her like that.  I know she'll get over it and probably have more fun with the babysitter than at home, but to start with, it's going to be hard!

Blubbering at Speech

With Down syndrome, there is a wide variance in how well the children communicate.  I am no expert, but I've heard people with Down syndrome be able to barely get out a word or two to communicate a thought to the Glee star Lauren Potter who has Down syndrome.  She stars in the show, and I've heard her do interview.  It is a huge concern of mine that our daughter be able to communicate.
We have been very blessed that G doesn't have major motor development delays, but she is behind on beginning speech.  She is not making baby babble or some of the vowel sounds that babies her age should be so I called the speech therapist I work with through the school system.  She is an amazing lady and does great work with the little kiddos in our district.  She had us come in so she could watch G and give me some pointers.
I've sat through oodles of IEP (individualized educations plan) meeting listening to how to help other children, but it's scary when it's your own child who's behind.  We were all sitting on the floor of speech therapist's office playing, getting pointers for helping develop G's speech when I suddenly burst into waterworks.  Most of the time I accept the fact that our daughter has Ds just fine, but sometimes it sneaks up on me.  I can start up some tears like you've never seen, and once I get started, it's pretty hard to get the leaky faucet stopped.  I'm sure the speech team was ready to have me evaluated....

Oven Chicken Fried Steak

This recipe isn't quite as quick and easy as some, but we really like it.

Oven Chicken Fried Steak

4 round steaks, pounded with meat mallet
Combine
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. garlic powder

Combine
2 eggs
some milk

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a 9x13 pan.  Dip meat in cracker then egg then cracker.  Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees on lower rack.  Turn half way through.

School's Almost Here

If I haven't mentioned how much I love summer already, I should have.  I LOVE summer! LOVE it!  I love piddling in my garden, staying inside in my air conditioning, doing what I want all day, and most importantly and my absolute favorite part, being at home with my baby.  We pretty much lay on the floor playing silly baby games all day long.
Today I had to go up to my classroom and start unpacking boxes (this is the second year in a row that I've moved rooms).  Our buildings have no air conditioning which makes me want to go back less (as much as I love summer, I hate being hot).
Plus it was the worst morning ever for me this morning. I had to take one dog to the vet for shots.   I got home and decided I better get stuff unpacked in my room since I only have two weeks left of summer.  I went to  back out of the drive, and our dog who always lays under the vehicle didn't get out like she normally does when I turn the engine over so I hit her.  I don't think it is serious because she is walking around and lets me touch the leg.  Then I went to drop the baby off at the babysitters, and she screamed bloody murder because she's had me home 24/7 all summer long.
Perhaps the district could just extend summer a little longer.....