Diaper Reviews: Contour

Imse Vimse $8.95 - $12.95

I like the Imse Vimse contour diapers, but they aren't my fav. I love the snugness of the elastic around the legs - they fit my newborn great. I ordered both the flannelette & the terry style fabrics. I liked them both - the terry seemed to have better absorbency, but the flannelette is oh so soft & not as bulky. These diapers seem to hold stains more than my other fitted diapers do. Although pinning is not necessary, the snappi will not work with these diapers. I'm not sure if I will order the next "one size fits all" size when My Little Buckaroo outgrows the newborn size, but I probably wouldn't order the newborn size again. The newborn size is suppose to last for most 0-4 month old babies, but these diapers are more expensive than my alternative contour diaper, Kissaluvs (which are for 0-6). I like them, but I don't think they are cost effective in the comparison.

Kissaluvs $7.95

I love the Kissaluvs contour diapers. These diapers are so soft & come with a very affective pre-sewn doubler inside. They are bulkier in the early newborn stage than the Imsi Vimse; however, my baby quickly outgrew the bulky look & even then, they were still leak proof. Like the Imse Vimse diapers, these do not require securing them with a pin or snappi, but as you can see in the picture the snappi will work perfectly with these diapers. I've used these with the Imse Vimse diaper covers & have not had any problems with leaking. I wish these had the elastic around the legs, but they are still my favorite contour diaper.

These are the only 2 styles of contour diapers I have used. I may order some to the Tiny Tush contours when Truman is ready for the next size.

Breaking News

Last week our bathroom sink & a light fixture were broke into several pieces.

Tucker's Statement: "I shut the door, the light fell & broke the sink."
*Please Note: The reenactment of this alibi did not prove it to be even a possibility.

Trevor said, "A monster did it! I PROMISE!!"

I believe Trevor's story is right on the money; however, I don't think he & I are thinking of the same kind of "monster." LOL

Have a great day & be thankful for your bathroom sinks -- you never know . . .

Guess Who?

Guess who did drama camp all week?

Guess who did a fabulous performance in a 2 person skit from a scene in The Secret Garden ?

Guess who decided to audition for The Bridge to Terabithia?

Guess who got the lead role in the play of their very 1st audition ever?

Daddy's Girl!!!!

We did drama classes a couple years ago & she did really well, but the stage stopped offering the class & at about this same time our season of storms began to hit our household. We took a break from EVERYTHING until recently. Now we are experiencing enough sunshine to slowly add activities to our schedules. I asked Taylor what she wanted to do this summer & she wasn't forth coming at all - so I decided for her. I heard about the drama camp for a week & knew that was it! Once she began, she really loved it & remembered the passion she had for acting. So, I mentioned The Bridge to Terabitha auditions. At first she was hesitant, but after getting a little pep-talk from her daddy she quickly became excited. So, I hauled My Little Buckaroo, 2 Mustangs, & Daddy's Girl to the auditions. When Taylor was called up to the stage they gave her the script of Jesse, the little sister. I was sorta disappointed because I was afraid she was going to be too big to be the sister & assumed they thought she was too little to be Leslie, the main character. I was hoping for just a small part & glad she was getting the experience. So, you can imagine the surprise when the phone rang & I was told she got THE LEAD!! Oh my goodness!! She did it! She is Leslie!

Way to go Daddy's Girl. We love you & are VERY proud of you!!

A Sad Day At Our House

Earlier this week our English Bulldog, Lucious, surprised us with a puppy!
She only had one, but it was very unexpected b/c this breed of dogs usually need to be artificially inseminated. This is the first time in 5 years our dog has become pregnant - we never imagined she'd become pregnant, muchless deliever a puppy without a c-section. She did all on her own & already had the puppy clean & what she thought was hid by the time we realized she was a new momma. Her pup was absoulutely adorable. We all became quickly attached to her & enjoyed seeing Lucious become such a good momma. She took her baby everywhere with her - trying to find a safe & comfy place for them. She hid her in the closet, then moved her to the Mustangs bunkbed & hid her in with all their webkin puppys, finally she found a spot in my office that she was content with. Not only is it difficult for bulldogs to become pregnant, but it is also difficult to raise their puppies. It is very common for them to not nurse or smother their puppies b/c they are so big. Lucious was nursing great & her puppy was totally healthy. Then while we were eating dinner our dog in attempting to snuggle her, accidently sat on the puppy & smothered her to death.

Our entire family is so sad. I am not usually emotional over animals, but it just broke my heart. My kids are devastated & I feel horible for our dog as she mopes around mourning the loss of her baby you could tell she loved so much. The experience is just so disappointing & SAD.

The kids want a puppy now . . . ugh!

I really don't want another puppy - I wanted that puppy. It was a special puppy that can't be replaced. I'd love for Lucious to have another litter, but I also have a hundred & one reason why she shouldn't. Do we wait & see if she gets pregnant on her own again or should we have her bred? Do we get another puppy now?
Should I wait? How long?

Part of me knows that unfortunately death is apart of life & my kids just have to experience loss. Another part of me says they have experienced enough loss in their childhood - I couldn't go & buy a new baby when ours died & I couldn't go get a new Nanny or Grandma Betty when theirs died - I can get them a new puppy though. The mommy in me wants to make this loss easier for my kids. This is such a hard reality of life on this earth. Oh how I can't wait for the days we are all in His Kingdom & don't have to experience loss anymore.

Cloth Diapers - Why??

Why on earth am I using cloth diapers?

I wanted to try them with Tucker, but couldn't afford the upfront cost. I thought about it with Trevor, but didn't think I had the time. When I saw how cute they were on MckMamma's blog I got to thinking . . . this very well could be my last baby - I think I'll try it now.

There it is, the honest truth: they are cute, I haven't done it before, & I wanted to. Period end of story. No green momma here, no cost-affective reasoning, no "it's better for my baby" theory. HOWEVER, I do believe in all of these:

Green: There is little explanation needed nor any debate really - I have used disposable diapers for 3 boys. Just an estimation of my contribution:
Say we use 10 diapers a day. That is roughly 300 a week, 1,200 a month, & 26,400 a year. Then say, you cut it down to just 5 diapers a day the second year (which was not the case in my house, but for arguments sake). The total diapers I polluted this earth with for one child was around 39,600. Plus 2 more kids = 118,800!!! So, by using cloth diapers I am certainly not hurting the environment!

Cost: Big Daddy read my post on my AIO/Pocket diaper reviews. He came home totally confused, "Tell me he does not have $20 undies on?!" "Well, sorta." LOL "BUT . . ." He walked out of the room. Let me give MY break down of the cost of disposables vs. cloth. Okay, using the estimated numbers above the cost of disposables for the first year would be at least $1,200. For my favorites an estimation of the first year + for cloth diapers would be about the same, but keep in mind these are REUSABLE!! (Based on 12 contour diapers, 66 fitted diapers, 3 pocket diapers, 13 covers, and 30 inserts.
*If you compare the cost of wipes: disposables (2 packs of 192ct/per month) = $204 cloth wipes (*40 re-usable)= $60 *really, you only need 24 to get started so this is a high estimate.

Better for my baby: Check THIS Post out from All About Cloth Diapers Blog.

She Did It Again!

Remember the cowboy blankies Nicki made Truman & Trevor? Well she finished another one & we love it!



She is working on 2 more & I got a sneak peek at Momma's Boy's, but you're going to have to wait!

Thanks again Nicki!

My 'Lil Buccaneer

I Lost My Mind Summer cuts!!

It all started out so innocent . . .

My first born, my momma's boy was about 4 & it was time for his summer buzz. As a joke Big Daddy asked him, "Hey you wanna mohawk?" (Thinking he would say no) Hey surprised us all when he said yes! Fine, the first year it lasted a day, the following year a week, the next year almost half the summer. This year he didn't want one . . . AT FIRST! But now it seems to be a tradition . . .

That is being passed down . . .

My sweet curly headed mustang didn't want a mohawk, but he did want "a hair cut like daddy's." (((sniff))) (((sniff)))
AND I LET HIM!!

This isn't just any hair cut though. This is a special hair cut because his Paw Paw Ray gave it to him. Besides, it'll grow back. RIGHT? -- That is what Tucker told me!


I feel like I have all new kids!

Ahoy Matey! (Pirate Unit Study)

• We have been having a boatload of fun learning all about The Pirate's Life
  

For my complete lesson plans join My Yahoo! Group, Teaching Diligently & search the FILES sections for Pirates!
*please note, this is a work in progress. I will continue to update it througout the summer.

Core books I'm using:

Magic Tree House Research Guide to Pirates

Pirates by John Matthews
*Our favorite!!

DK Eye Wonder Pirate

100 things you should know about PIRATES

Pirates & Smugglers

Pirateology

Pirates & Buccaneers Coloring Book


Picture books:

Pirates Past Noon

How I Became a Pirate

Pirates Don't Change Diapers

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

Pirate Mom

Treasure Island

*I have this book & absolutely LOVE it, but we decided to listen toTreasure Island on audio book recorded by Jim Weis

When we are done listening to Treasure Island, we will listen to
The Queens Pirate


Pirate Movies:

I did a search on Netflix for "Pirate Movies" & will be updating this as we preview them, but please do not trust my opinion (- I am rather cautious of what I allow my kids to watch; however, I tend to be okay with more mature movies as long as I am watching it with them so I can explain & discuss issues with them.) Please preview movies yourself.

Peter Pan
Hook
Finding Neverland

Curious George Sails
Dora the Explore: Pirate Adventures
Scooby Doo: Pirates Ahoy!
Veggi Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

Sinbad
The Goonies

Pirate Activities:

Research
•Report on famous pirate
•Picturea of weapons used
•Find Pirate Music/chanties (perform)
•Create a timeline
•Research flags and the meanings of the symbols on them.

Hands on
•Create a Treasure map
•Create a Wanted Poster (tea bags & image off google)
•Create a Pirates License
•Create your own island
-how did you get here?
-where will you find food? What will you eat?
-what is the weather like?
-how will you shelter yourself?
-are there any animals? What are they like?
-what will you name your island?
-(Mark X on your hidden treasure)
•Create playing cards
•Draw & label a ships parts
•Learn sailing knots
•Choose a pirate to dress as
Pirates Multi-book Theme Unit


Geography
•Map Routes of pirates & mark where pirates have been.
-Label oceans, continents, key cities and land forms (make a map key)
•Facts on Jamaica


Writing
•Write a letter in a bottle
•Journal/ “Ship Log”/survival long of your own island
•Write a poem
•Interview an imaginary pirate

Copy Work/Memorization
•Quotes


Language
•Story Map
•“Code of Conduct” (compare their laws to current laws)
•Wall hanging (Char., Plot, Favorite Part, Setting)


Science
•Why boats float
•Float different objects in sink or bathtub
•Be able to identify different types of boats & learn about their distinctions
Ex.: fishing boat, Kayak, Submarine, Aircraft carrier, ships, cruising vessel, speed boat, tugboat
•Get a general idea of what Navigation is


Games
•Island Hopping /Musical islands
-Place several pillows (or make islands) around a large open area. Tell your children they are islands. Have the children hop from island stories about pirates and alligators while playing or playing music.
•Measure Hunt
-Divide the group into groups of 2-3 pirates and give measurements around the room. Each group has to search the room for objects of that length and record what they found. Ex. Books, works on the word wall, anything they could find.
•Swashbuckling bread sticks
-Sword fight with bread sticks – object is to break the other persons bread sick
•Pirate scavenger hung
-Hide items (skull and cross bones, coins, spice, bottle of rum, jewels, parrot feathers, eye patch, treasure map, shells,ect)
•Treasure Hunt
-Make map with picture for the kids to find items
•Walk the plank
-set toy alligators in pool
•Play Pirate games
•Floor Puzzle
•Construct a pirate ship


Arts/Crafts
•Wave Jar
-Baby food jars, vegetable oil, water and food coloring. Let each of the children fill one of the baby food jars with water & food coloring half way. Fill each jar to the top with the oil. Screw the lid on tightly.
•Pirate Treasure
-Paint rocks with paint and glitter
•Spyglasses
-Cover the end of toliet-paper tube with a square of colored cellophane and fix it with a rubber band
•Pirates Flag
-Pillow case & felt
•Draw/finger paint a pirate ship
•Trace Constellations (connect dots, number if needed)


Swashbuckling Sea Songs


Pretend Play/Toys
•Pretend you are a prisoner of a pirate how would you feel?
•Pirate Figurines
•Fisher Price Pirate Ship
•Wooden Dock Set
•Finger Puppets
•Legos Pirate Collection
•Playmobile Pirates Collection
*There are some great pirate toys available. These are just some of our favorites. Visit amazon & search "pirate toys" for more.


Reasoning
•Piloting is watching for landmarks. Early seamen were obervers of nature. List some things they would watch and tell why.
•Sky
•clouds
•weather
•winds
•water (lighter colors closer to shore, warned of a reef)
•water turbulence (may indicate current or deeper water)
•birds (land nearby)
•muddy water (may indicate mouth of a river)
•Pose in constellation positions (tape 2-3" stars to the childs body)

Baseball Camp

Momma's boy went to Baseball Camp last week. He had soooo much fun!

His favorite part was when he got to practice sliding on the slip 'n slide.



The camp was wonderful. He learned a lot. It went way beyond the fundamentals & he learned a lot of "extra". He was even grouped with the catchers & got some great coaching specifically for catching. I am so proud of him - I can't help but brag on him . . . He impressed one (there were SEVERAL) of the coaches with his batting. The last day all the kids got a medal, an award ("Mr. Hustle") & a t-shirt.

No More Floaties!!

All of our outlaws have been early swimmers, but it seems like each summer we have to have a refresher coarse. This summer it was just 1 day for Tucker.


He is officially done with floaties!


Tucker is a little fish! He loves the water. In one day he shucked the floaties, began swimming across the pool (under water), & jumping off the diving board into the deep end. I have had so much fun watching him swim.

New School Room Bunkhouse

Look what Big Daddy is building this time!

He has been spending his paternity leave building a barn/workshop/schoolhouse/bunkhouse. The bottom is his, the top is mine & eventually will be the boys someday. Long term the plan for the top is to make it a bunkhouse for the boys when they are bigger, but until then - it is MINE! I can just see the bookshelve now . . . Ikea here I come!! I am hoping by September the top will be completed enough for us to begin our new school year in it, but Big Daddy says it is wishful thinking. We'll see . . .

6 Weeks . . .

And still the perfect baby!

He is oh so sweet. He is starting to be awake more often & is very alert. He only wakes up once or twice during the night to be changes & nursed & back to sleep he goes. Nope, sorry; I haven't been kept up one night! :) And still NO binki!



He loves to be held, but isn't demanding; however, he does require to be worn at times (LOVES the sling). He doesn't seem to be bothered by all the "petting" from the other kids & totally ignores & sleeps right through all the noise. He is nursing great & growing way too fast. He is even trying to flip over to his back during tummy time. And yes, his eyes are still blue!! He has beautiful blue eyes that seem to be getting lighter & not darker.

He has even been swimming & likes the water!

Cloth Diaper Reviews: AIO & Pocket Diapers

When I first began looking into cloth diapers & discovered THE ALL IN ONE diaper I really thought, "I wish I could afford to use JUST these." Well, I have used cloth diapers for about a month now & my views have changed. AIO's are convenient & very easy to use; however, not a necessity with cloth diapering full time. I ordered 3 different brands of AIO/Pocket diapers: bumGenius, Imse Vimse, & Fuzzi Bunz. Here is my 2 cents . . .

All-In-Ones (AIO) & Pocket Diapers


bumGenius ($17.95 ea)
I ordered the bumGenius One Size cloth diaper (in Twilight to be exact). BTW, this was NOT mentioned by MckMamma, but got great reviews as one of the "TOP Cloth Diapers." It is my favorite in this category out of 3 brands I have. Originally, I just ordered 1 of each brand, but I went back for more on this one. I will admit, I was very skeptical on ordering this to begin with. How can a diaper fit a baby from 7 lb's to 35 lb's and really work? Yeah, right! My skepticism was proven wrong when I tried it out on my less than 7lb baby. In fact, this diaper was one of the few that fit his tiny little bum. I have used the bumGenius insert & doubler with this diaper & have not had any leaks. My favorite things about this diaper are the fold-over laundry tabs & the stretch-to-fit tabs that can cross over for a better fit on smaller babies. Another bonus to this style/brand is the unique covered pocket opening to prevent leakage from the front. The only problem I have found with these diapers is staining along the inside linning around the legs. This is an elastic-scrunched section & it doesn't wash poop well. Outside of this, it is my favorite Pocket diaper & by far seems to be the best buy in the long run because it is a ONE SIZE diaper.

Fuzzi Bunz (pocket diaper =$17.95)
I really like the Fuzzi Bunz & have no complaints. In fact, it seems to wash better than the bumGenius. The 2 are quiet a bit alike, I just prefer the hook-loop closer the bumGenius diapers use over the snap closer style of the Fuzzi Bunz. I will suggest if ordering for a newborn, getting the x-small. The picture below is of Truman at almost 4 weeks old in a size small.

*Fuzzi Bunz just came out with a One Size diaper that is retailing for $19.50.

Imsevimse ($22.65)
This is a great diaper; however, it is expen$ive & a bit of an over kill. It is very soft & comfy, doesn't leak & is a great fit, but did I mention ExPeN$IvE?

Wild Flowers

Even an Outlaw can be sweet sometimes.