Mama Drama

My mom watches Nate while I am at work. I work close enough to her house that I go and have lunch with Nate just about every day. Today while I was there Nate tripped over a blow-up Krusty the Klown punching bag (don't ask) and fell face first onto another toy made of hard plastic. He hit right at his orbital bone, it must have hurt like hell. He screamed. I happened to be right there when it happened so I scooped him up, coo-ed and cuddled. Nate wailed harder and try to throw himself out of my arms and into grandma's....

It was devestating. I actually felt my heart break wide open. I cried real tears.

We got some ice of his face, gave him his sippy and a bink and he was fine. He's going to have a shiner, but he will be fine.

Knowing the fragile state of the mama ego, my mom whispered to Nate to "go give mommy a hug and a kiss" and to his credit my little man did just that. Complete with the universal sign for pick me up (both arms straigt up) and he cuddled me and kissed me and mended my broken heart.

It was a lot for a lunch hour.

Hillbilly Housewife

One of the things I have always loved about the Hillbilly Housewife is her emergency $45 and $70 menus. Recently, she updated these to reflect 2009 prices.

What a change... the $45 menu now costs $70 while the former $70 menu now costs $89.

What was interesting to me was the price changes of individual items like the 10lb. bag of flour that went from $1.92 to $3.98. That's more than double the price in 3 years! Wow! Rice was another shocker with a jump from $.99 in 2006 to $3.50 in 2009.

I knew the food prices went up, but seeing it in black and white in a side by side comparison is really eye opening. Yet another good reason to keep a price book....

Easter Basket Fluff

I started to put together Nate's Easter basket this week. There isn't/won't be much too it. He is too little for candy and has a ton of toys, so it will contain a few new things for the spring a summer, like sidewalk chalk (the egg shapes they have out at Easter are easy for little hands to hold), bubbles, and these little felted bunnies and chicks from Beneath the Rowan Tree.

So... Darn... Cute!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Open Letter to Trendy Restaurants:

Dear Trendy Restaurants:

I understand that I am no longer your target clientele. I am no longer a twenty-something who hangs out of the rooftop bar drinking insanely overpriced cocktails with cheeky names like "Smarty Pants" and "Champagne-o-rama." I am now a 30-something with a baby and a diaper bag in tow who likes to sit at a table and drink insanely overpriced cocktails with cheeky names like "Smarty Pants" and "Champagne-o-rama" while ordering food.

I did not/do not expect you to make accommodations for my baby. I understand that I will be sat at a table that is out of the way and where my child will not "kill the buzz" of the Gen-Y folks that usually fill your seats. So, you can imagine my surprise when I was asked if I needed a high chair. Fully expecting you not to have them I brought my own, but that you for asking. Perhaps you are more child friendly than I thought.

Imagine my confusion then when I took my son to the Ladies room to change him and found that it was not possible, there being a complete lack of a changing station and all. Knowing that what goes on in your bathrooms has more to do with primping in front of the mirror and less to do with powdering a behind I guess there isn't much call for a diaper changing station.

However, you might want to consider installing something that could be used to change diapers, because nothing is going to "kill the buzz" of your Gen-Y clientele faster than me changing a poopy diaper at the table next to them when they are trying to enjoy their tapas.

Just a thought.

Thank you.

Limeade

Since we had a cold snap and 6-8 inches of snow, I was in the mood for something summery... enter Limeade.

1 Cup Lime Juice
6 Cups Cold Water
1 3/4 Cups Splenda (or Sugar)

Combine and enjoy... pretent there isn't snow on the ground.

My Cloth Diaper Stash in Pictures

(L-R Top Row) mommy's Touch One Size Diaper (almost out of picture) One Size Fuzzi Bunz, 2 One Size Bumwear, 1 Sticky Peas Prefold
(L-R Next Row) OS Blueberry Minky in Blue Camo, 6 Bum Genius OS Diapers
(L-R Next Row) Swaddlebees OS Econappi in cow print, 2 Bum Genius OS Diapers
(L-R Bottom Row) Bum Genius Organis OS All in One Diaper (darker green)

Since I only cloth diaper part time my stash is modest in comparison to some. I don;t know that I would consider this frugal, because this is the expensive way to cloth diaper, but it certainly is green. Although considering that one diaper costs @ $18.00 and will last through potty training and then could be used on another baby, maybe this is frugal. I have 3 Goodmamas (the hottest cloth diaper around at them moment) on the way (I bought them used) and am even going to try my hand at making some embellished prefolds out of organic bamboo velor.

I have also just discovered a cloth diaper store (Diaperware) in my area that I will be visiting next week. The owner also has a web presence, and judging by the website she keeps the store stocked. I can;t wait to see some of these diapers in person. :)