Cloth Diapers: The Ammonia Stink

     Cloth diapers... A wonderful way to save money and help God's green earth as well... But there is a dark side to them... Stink, stench, funk... thats what!!! Man I was dealing with a horrible ammonia problem. What? Ammonia in diapers? Yes...Here is a blog that explains this very thing, HappilyDomestic.
   
      I was washing every 2 days just because I could not stand that smell that was spilling from my diaper pail!!! It was mostly just wet diapers with just a couple that had poo residue on the them( rinsed off with diaper sprayer)... so there was no reason why I shouldnt have been able to make it another day in between washing... Well I got an idea and man what an idea!!! Rinse all the diapers!!! How simple it was. After I changed a diaper I would just quickly rinse it and I found my miracle cure to the funk! Now I can go 5 days in between washes( though I dont typically, just awesome that I can)! I also just discovered this little gem called Rockin Green Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer. Just adding a tablespoon to my pre-wash has also helped a ton.

     Cloth diapering in an art to say the least... There are all kinds of water issues... too soft, too hard... What kind of washer do you have??? I have a front load and I hate it for cloth diaper washing.  Not to mention that it has so much more maintenance than a top load. Not regularly washing the tub can make from stinky anything from bed sheets to towels... Your child's urine out-put can also contribute to the stench, too strong maybe from not drinking enough?... But the good news to all that is that there are solutions out there. Many before me have discovered a lot of solutions and posted them online for anyone to see and try.

     So if you are having a stink issue trying the above tip may save you a headache, well at least save your nose from the funky burn of ammonia ;).                       Happy Clothing!

Coming back from the dead :)

This summer has been long and difficult for me. I have not posted anything since August. :( A lot of things have been going on, but that is no excuse to just drop off the planet. I commit to write a blog or post something useful and interesting at least every other week. I'll start as soon as I come up with a plan of action. Thanks for hanging around.

First trimester coping: Recovering

     I'm over it, I'm over it.... Finally! I can brush my teeth, change a diaper, take out garbage without gagging! I've let go and survived. Now I need to recover. Not just me, but the house. For three months a lot of things have been neglected and now it is time to get those things back into shape. My gratefulness for all the help my husband gives in never ceasing, but lets face it... his clean isnt the same as my clean. I dont know many men who have the same deffinition as clean as their wives do. I've learned to accept it. 

     Well those areas still need some TLC from me. One example is the girls room... There is clothes in the drawers that B hasnt worn in months that some how ended up back into the dresser... I cant tell you the last time the fridge was wiped out... the list goes on. 

    My goal is to tackle one or two items on the list a week. Call them my Focus Areas for the week, but the challenging part is getting those things done while teaching lessons as well. Not impossible, just takes a little more effort. And that comes through Christ. I can do all things through Him, who gives me strength! So take it one day at a time. One thing at a time. One prayer at a time. 

     Get overwhelmed with the long list? Just write one thing down ;). When that task is done... make a new list, maybe with two things... Build into it. No need getting stressed and worked up over chores. This is a blessed time in our lives and I want to show God how much I love Him by worshiping him through the care I take with the things He has given me.

     I am happy to be over that season. I'm happier God has taught me a lesson(s) to go with it. I am not sure exactly what the next season will be for me but you can expect a lesson to be learned from it. Well, recovery seems simple...It is really, just doing one things at a time. In time the house will be in order again. At least at this point we can have guest over and not be completely embarrassed.  :) God bless you all in whatever season you are in!

Let the Learning Continue!

     Does learning ever stop for winter, spring, summer breaks? In our house, no, but we do not do "school" all year, that's whats fun about tomorrow!

Our first day of ' not going to' school-sort of :)

This year I have simplified things a lot since I will be having a baby half way through the year, but in no way is this reduction lacking in the rich world of learning. 

Three days a week, three hours a day, Hayden will be going to a special speech school. I am hesitant to send him to 'school' but look forward to the help in his speech development. It also gives me 3 hours of uninterrupted time with Skylar, little sister allowing. :)

Those three days Hayden is at speech school will be Skylar's formal school days. The other two days will be  full of fun games and field trips ( related to what we are learning) , where Hayden will be included as well. Our first field trip will be in six days to SeaLife Aquarium with a lot of our home school friends! We cannot wait!!!

This year's curriculum is inspired by a book my wonderful sister in law, Cheryn, bought for me, called The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. It is very full of helpful tips and resources for whatever aged homeschooler you have. I picked through the resources and their suggestions and put this together for this year:

Bible
-Studies on creation, Fruits of the spirit, memory verses, and Kids of Character by Marilyn Boyer

Reading/Phonics
-The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington
-Explode the Code book 1 by Nancy Hall and Rena Price
-Bob Books, set of 12 CVC books in progressing difficulty with increasing amounts of sight words by Bobby Lynn Maslen

Writing
-Hand Writing Without Tears, Letters and Numbers for Me

Math
-Pattern blocks with pattern cards, counting bead, strawberry counting game from http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/strawberry.html

Science
-The Usborne Book of Science Activities Vol. II, Air, in the kitchen, and with plants 

Supplement Learning and Fun

Our reading list
-Bob Books

Junior Classics for Young Readers ( these may be too old for her, but I want to start a love of reading early)
-The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
-Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
-Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
-The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
-The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
-Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll


Fast Fact books
-Declaration of Independence
-The Presidents of the United States
-50 Great States

Games and Flash Cards
-Alphabet and Math Bingo
-Alphabet flash cards
-Sigh word flash cards
-Math flash cards
-Math fishing
-Dry erase math workbook

Arts and Crafts
-Lots of painting, gluing, play dough, corn meal drawing, sewing, and other various crafts. 

We will also be doing "Unit studies" on the subject of the month. For example, August is Ocean since we are going to SeaLife, September will be on patriotism, October is Halloween( and why we have fun getting candy, but don't celebrate it), January will be about babies since I am due January 30th, etc, etc. 

Hayden will do basic color, shape, number, and alphabet recognition the 2 days he is home in the AM

I look forward to this year. I see lots of learning and fun, not only for them, but for me as well. I feel lead by God so I know he is with me through this. We may have some rough patches, especially in the beginning and when the baby arrives, but God will see us through with lots of lessons learned all around. I look forward to hearing about what others are doing this year for their students. God Bless this school year.

First Trimester Coping: Surviving

      The end of this season is almost here. Little by little I am able to do more. Only a couple of things set off the nausea. I look forward to feeling better and really overcoming the monster of a house with little children, but in the mean time here is my survival guide.


     I seem to have the most energy right when I wake up and I catch a second wind right after the kids are in bed at night. I am pretty much useless all the rest of the day. So in order to keep clean clothes in the house I start a load of laundry first thing in the morning. Our clothes closet has become the love seat this pregnancy so far, but clean clothes folded at least is better than dirty clothes. At this time I also make breakfast, eat, and clean up the kitchen, by this time the washer is finished and I switch loads. Now I run upstairs and do my Morning Chores. It really only takes me 20-30 mins to tidy the entire upstairs( 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, I also keep all other rooms locked I do not want the kids in).  Laundry is ready to switch. Now I have a couple loads done and ready to fold.  Once I fold a couple loads, taking maybe 10 mins, I sit.... lay... whatever, because I am now ready for a nap.


     After I have regained a little stamina I double check my Morning Chores chores... Once that's done I lock the doors so they stay tidy.   After my double check I make snack for everyone. After snack it is time to start work on the Daily Focus Area... I have assinged days of the week to rooms in the house. Monday is Kitchen/Dinning room day. This is the day where I clean cabinets off, clean out fridge. make sure the sink is clean, sweep and mop the floor(needs to be done here twice a week), etc until the whole area is cleaned. Tuesday is Living/Laundry room day. Again same idea, this time I attempt to put the clothes away... By doing a couple quick tidy ups and focus cleaning on one specific room no one room is a disaster( unless its the playroom, I have all but given up on that right now). Rest often, like every 10 mins! Wednesdays are generally floor days. Mopping is very straining for me so dont be surprised if I just spot mopped. Thursdays are laundry days. Beds stripped and washed. Catch up on any laundry hanging around. Fridays are free days as of right now. This day I just try to look around as see what hasnt been done and work on that... Maybe a closet needs to be cleaned out or switching summer and winter clothes, etc. Saturday is bathroom day. I have three full baths that get dirty in a hurry even with general cleaning everyday. Sunday is the Lord's day. No hard labor on this day.


     As of right now I am still taking a nap with the kids and doing my Afternoon Chores when nap time is over. This is the down stairs tidy. I start in the kitchen where I just made the kids snack. Then I work my way around just tidying and getting ready to welcome daddy home. I try very hard to have it all done before he gets home but sometimes our nap time isnt over until 4pm or so and he usually gets home at 5pm. The downstairs is way messier than the upstairs and it takes me a lot more time to get it tidy. Generally 15 mins a room.


So that was the long version :). Here is the shorter version...


Wake and start a load of laundry
make BK and eat and tidy up BK mess
Upstairs Tidy or Morning Chores
Rest
Focus Area( time to complete varries, if I finish fast then I work on blog stuff or work on school stuff)
Rest 
Make Lunch, eat, tidy up lunch
NAP TIME( my favorite time of day!)
wake, make snack, tidy snack
Downstairs chores or Afternoon chores
Daddy Home!
Dinner Time( I try to pick easy meals that require as little prep as possible. I love cooking on the grill for this reason.) 


This is my summer schedule and it will be changing this week to allow for school time. 


School Schedule will look something like this:


Wake and make, eat, and tidy BK
Get Hayden ready for speech therapy... He will be going on a little bus to a "preschool" designed for children with delays. ( I see this as a blessing in disguise this year seeing as I will be having a baby in the winter.)
Quickly do my morning chores
Lessons with Skylar
Lunch and Hayden home
Then the rest of the afternoon will be the same as the Summer Schedule. 


     Some may be wondering where my personal time is in all this. During my rest times I will read my bible or other book, listen to worship songs, and cuddle time with the children. I try very hard to get my heart and my head in the right place for the day, of course some days are more difficult than others. I know this looks ridged, but its really not. There is plenty of room for flexibility especially if I keep things tidy... the next day is always easier. This is just my survival guide, yours may look completely different. I took a lot of these ideas from a great book called Large Family Logistics. I love this book! I am writing a review on it and it will be up sometime this fall :) I hope you can take some of these ideas and use them if you are in this season of life as well. Until the next time. God Bless. 

First Trimester Coping: Letting Go

     This will be the first if three or so post related to coping during the first trimester. These post are not necessarily going to be about treating morning sickness and fatigue, but rather getting through it when it is happening. I hope these suggestions help you if you are in this season of life.


     As I sit here in the rocking chair in the playroom at 9:30 in the morning I am thinking how I would really like to be sleeping again. The fatigue is unreal! The kids are a bound of energy and making a trail of toys behind them. There is about 10 loads of laundry sitting folded on the love seat needing to be put away. But you know what, I am ok with that... But I find it very difficult. 


     Cleanliness is something I strive for. I cannot stand to see things in ciaos. It wears me down and greatly depresses me. But in these past few weeks I have come to an understanding with myself that this is only for a season and soon I will have the energy back to get my house back in order. Learning to let go is a hard lesson for a lot of us. 
     
     Most of us struggle to let go of things like worry or a negative feeling. They trap us in the box of anxiety. I dont want to go through this whole pregnancy surrounded by anxiety. I am letting go of a spotless floor, all the laundry put away, a stray dirty dish or so, and etc. I am giving them to Jesus, he will know when and how they will get done. Those little things are not going to bring the house down.


Letting go is difficult at times, but by just reminding myself that it is only for a season things seem a little easier. I hope this helps other moms let go of the really not so important things in life and lay them at the feet of Jesus. 

Where I have been

     Its been a while, a long while since I last posted and for that I am truly sorry. I guess you can say I had a blog block. I have several topics to blog on, but the words and motivation have eluded me. 


     I've been down and tired. Mostly from the pregnancy but also my spirit has been down. Because of illness and vacation we have been out of church for a long time and that effects me greatly. Because of morning sickness the house has taken a major blow and that also effects my spirit as well. I feel helpless. I know that I am not, my husband has been a tremendous help, but I still feel out of sorts. 


     There is a tiredness I cannot shake... no matter how much sleep... this tiredness causes my head to hurt and my mood to swing. I have tried many times to write a blog only to stare at the screen in complete exhaustion. I pray it will get better in the coming weeks. 


     When I am feeling up to it I will be writing a book review, a few post on coping during the first trimester, and sharing what homeschool curriculum we will be using this year. I hope you will bare with me and stick around. Until then can you, will you, pray for me? Thank you.