Another diaper giveaway

Minnesota Mama's Must Haves is having a giveaway of bummis diaper kit.  It is loaded with stuff and retails for $169.  Check it out if you are into cloth diapering and yes by blogging this gets me an extra entry!!

She stuck her dress down the toilet- again- updated

Update- so I talked to her teacher this morning and the dress was actualy an accident!!!  I am keeping the post as is though because.  She has stuck clothes in their toilet before and because Celia told me it wasn't an accident (she isn't always reliable).  She didn't however have a good day though, forgot those listening ears and that she is not in charge.  We will see how today goes.

Yes that is right.  This wasn't at home, this was at school and yes she has done this before!!  I arrived to pick Celia up today and I saw her in a different shirt, I sort of knew that wasn't a good sign.  So Miss. Maryanne- the college girl that takes care of Celia in the afternoon- told me that Celia put her dress in the toilet as she was pooping in the toilet/after she did it.  She wasn't sure why, she knew it wasn't an accident.  The note from Celia's teacher didn't indicate that it was an accident.  Celia's explanation to me later indicated that she didn't like what Miss. Holli said to her.  She also evidently did not want to help to clean up so they wouldn't let her eat her yogurt (they use that as a reward sometimes with her, don't worry I pack her plenty for lunch).  She evidently didn't care about consequences today.  That is my sweet, sweet, little girl.  This one..

She isn't always perfect for us, but she sure doesn't act like that at home.  I am sorry for her teacher and I do follow through at home when she has days like this.  I work with students who all have behavior issues and I am trained to deal with these issues.  So my daughter should be perfectly behaved at school, that is my theory.  On days like this I think that I should make her a picture schedule for school, get her a reward chart, and track her progress.  But... you don't do that with a normal 2 year old do you? 

Look at her, she is so cute, so much easier when she didn't think that she could do everything. 

                              

So she is mine, all mine.  I love her spunk.  I love that when I asked her if she made good choices today, her response was "Well, probably, no".  But she was still happy as could be.  I let her know that we were not watching Handy Manny today because of her behavior- she already knew that.  Her response was "Cause I put my dress in the toilet?" Oh and the dress, the dress.  My Mom can guess which dress it was.  It is a dress that I liked when I picked it out for $1 at a church sale but as Celia wanted to wear it every chance she can, I don't like it as much.  So that dress might be hidden for awhile.   When we came home, we practiced her cutting.  She is doing amazingly at cutting, without very much practice.  Her little hand was getting tired by the evening but she made Daddy some book marks.  She made Miss. Donna a house and cut on the lines, almost perfectly. She loves it.  Amazing.  But my little arts and crafts diva will not be using her scissors tomorrow if she has another day like this...

Amazing.  But she stuck her dress down the toilet- again.

Diaper Review- Bumgenius 3.0

A review of Bumgenius 3.0.  If I do reviews of diapers sold at Diaper Junction I can get another entry into their giveaway.  But I am also doing this because I really want my sister in law to cloth diaper (I want to turn someone else to the cloth diapering world) and I think some reviews might explain the different diapers.  Celia has been daytrained for almost a year and I am almost sad that I have no reason to buy some cute diapers anymore however, I am searching sales to start up my sister-in-law!!  So periodically I might post some about specific diapers.

When I first started cloth diapering I researched it extensively, there are so many different options.  Getting into cloth diapering is expensive upfront so I didn't want to waste my money on things that don't work.  But honestly along the way you do have things that you don't like and then you just sell them for almost what you paid!  In anycase I got a thirsties fab fitted with a thirsties cover and then a 3 pack of BG-3.0. 

They are pocket diapers. 

Pocket diapers typically have a flap in the back that you stuff with a microfiber/hemp insert.  Bumgenius diapers come with an absorbant microfiber insert- a onesize insert and a smaller doubler/infant insert.  So after I wash them I sit on the couch while vegging and stuff diapers!  It isn't a big deal.  You have to take the insert out prior to washing them but I have never found it to be a big deal.  By having the insert removeable, it cuts drying time down.

The insert looks like the above and snaps for different sizes.  The bumgenius fits about 8lbs and up.  Celia started wearing bumgenius when she was likely around 12lbs and still can fit into them.   They have held up very well and they are by far my favorite diaper.  At night now Celia only wears bumgenius.  I packed the rest of her diapers away, and we rotate between about 10 bumgenius so that we don't wear them all out.  I probably own about 20 bumgenius, just guessing.  I bought quite a few so that I wouldn't have to worry about getting diapers washed and stuffed for daycare. 

They are super daddy, babysitter, and daycare friendly.  For daycare, I just sent them in and they put the dirty ones in a wetbag.  I then unstuffed them when I got home.  I made my own fleece liners to deal with the poop. 

You put them in by securing them just like a disposable diaper, but you are using velcro! 

Pros:
Easy to use
Contain absolutely anything (trust me Celia has put them to the test)
One-size, truely one-size
Come in a variety of colors
Daddy friendly

Cons:
Pricier then some diaper options (I have to add a but, they last through toddlerhood)
Have been told that the elastic wears out (not experienced this yet though and it can be replaced)
You have to stuff the inserts

Honestly I really love them.

Next review will be for a thirsties product.

How I was Born, by Celia

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mat Man

For those of you familiar with Handwriting without Tears, there is a song that goes with it- Mat Man.  Celia and I have been doing Mat Man a few times a week.  I am also trying to teach her some handwriting skills.  She can do big line down and little line across, as well as a circle.  But here is Mat Man building in pictures.  As you can see from the pictures, I am sad to report that I think the curls are gone.  It surprises me because she has two parents with curly hair.  But it will be thicker and it is still cute.

This is to the tune of "The Bear Went over The Mountain"

Mat Man has one head one head one head, Mat Man has one head, so that he can think

Mat Man has 2 eyes, 2 eyes, 2 eyes, Mat Man has 2 eyes so that he can see

Mat Man has 1 nose, 1 nose, 1 nose, Mat Man has 1 nose so that he can smell

Mat Man has 1 mouth, 1 mouth, 1 mouth, Mat Man has 1 mouth so that he can eat

Mat Man has 2 ears, 2 ears, 2 ears, Mat Man has 2 ears so that he can hear

Mat Man has 1 body, 1 body, 1 body, Mat Man has 1 body to hold what is inside

Mat Man has 2 arms, 2 arms, 2 arms, Mat Man has 2 arms so that he can reach

Mat Man has 2 hands, 2 hands, 2 hands, Mat Man has 2 hands so that he can clap

Mat man has 2 legs, 2 legs, 2 legs, Mat man has 2 legs so that he can stand

Mat Man has 2 feet, 2 feet, 2 feet, Mat Man has 2 feet so that he can walk

Celia does most of this by herself, I do one leg and arm, she does the other.  She can do the head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and body without help!  We have fun.

She is so amazing

2 Week Menu

Sunday- A Turkey- one I got cheap from Thanksgiving.  I put onions, celery, sage, and garlic in the cavity.  I then loosened the skin and put in a butter, marjoram, sage, and pepper mixture. It turned out well.  We had it with some roasted potatoes- rosemary, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Oh and green beans.

Monday- Barbeque Meatloaf that my Mom made.

Tuesday- Turkey Sandwiches

Wednesday- Butternut Squash soup- from the freezer

Thursday- Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Friday- Eggs and Toast (honestly one of my favorite meals sometimes!)

Saturday- Freezer Item/ Out

Sunday- Hirino Psito (looking to adapt this for a cheaper and lower fat cut of meat)

Monday- Plum Island Clam Chowder- in freezer

Tuesday- Turkey Tacos

Wednesday- Mexicali Turkey Skillet Casserole (If anyone wants the recipe, I will provide)

Thursday-  Leftovers/ Freezer meal

Friday- Eat out/ Raviolis

Saturday-  If didn't eat out last night, out tonight, if did then Raviolis

Sunday- Falafel- in the crockpot, it is in her cookbook but I can't find it on her website.  That will be a unique meal for us, something different.

Nothing exciting!

School Days

Today, I am still miss my baby Celia's ringlets.  She is cute, I can see her face more, but I am scared we might not get the ringlets back.  I will adjust though.  When I first started cloth diapering, I really had second thoughts because it gave her this big bubble butt.  I almost stopped because of it, I missed how she looked.  But then, I got used to it, and after a short while I couldn't imagine her without the bubble butt.  Now of course I only see the bubble butt when she wears her cloth diapers at night.  So I suppose it is the same deal with her hair.  Fortunately I know that my Mother-in-law is going to oh and aw over how cute she is tomorrow, that will make me feel a little better.  Then my Mom will also comment on how cute she is and I will feel a little better then too.

Okay school.  Christmas break refreshed me, it really did.  I came back to work in a better mood, and I needed that because we have had a very hard two weeks.  I have a student that has had severe behavioral difficulties.  These difficulties started a few months ago and I was frustrated because I kept hearing from others that he had never acted like this in the past.  I now have heard otherwise from others, but it doesn't seem like he has acted this bad for this long.  I viewed it as, well I must be doing something wrong.  But the truth is, these behaviors I now realize have no reflection on me as a teacher.  They are usualy at their worst on Mondays and he is great by Friday.  There are other signs that something is happening at home.  What is a reflection on me as a teacher is how I respond to these behaviors.  I have never dealt with a child this age, with this high of a cognitive leve, with these type of behaviors.  I reached out to our behaviorists and I have been working with them and developing my own strategies.  I am proud of my amazing assistants for hanging in there too.  It has been a difficult few weeks but maybe empowering.  I now understand him a lot more, I should I have spent almost all day by his side somedays!  Many of us have been hit and spit at (right in our face).  I have been called all sorts of lovely words.
This is a work in progress and I am not sure what the next few months are going to be like, he could go eitherway.  For the first time I am in a school that supports their teachers when there are behavior issues.  When I taught Multiple Disabilities, basically if you had behavior issues, you were on your own.  It did not matter if you had a student that knocked over bookshelves, punched you, bit you, etc... You just had to deal. 
I am not enjoying the fact that my other students are suffering with all that is going on.  But I feel like I have learned a great deal in the past two weeks.  I have always enjoyed trying to figure out solutions to behavior issues.  I am also not enjoying the exhaustion that comes with it- emotionally and physically.  But we will get through it!

So now we have a long weekend and on Tuesday my student will come in ready to cause trouble and I will be armed with a little more knowledge of the situation.