Floam- fun and loam? foam and L? Whatever.

Recently when we went to Corie's the boys were playing with Floam. They had the best time! I have no read idea what it is, exactly. But they sure liked it. And then it was time to clean up... and THEN I loved it!! Much like play dough you "stamp" up the rest of the loose pieces with a larger chunk. But this doesn't stick like playdough, or really ground it like PD does.

What is on your head, sir?!

I am usually a play dough kind of girl (ahhh that smell!) but this might have convinced me to switch, or at least pick up some one day.

And see how the boys are playing on a WHITE table cloth?! That would never happen with PD.

Potty Training... or NOT

When Grayson was tiny, like 3 months I started doing some elimination communication. Which in a nutshell is where you follow your child's physical ques and put them on the potty at the appropriate time to lessen the amount of time they are in a wet diaper. Many people that do this are totally diaper free.

I was not that dedicated. I just wanted to see what it was all about. I got pretty good at it though.

Then we went on vacation when he was 6 months old. I didn't have room for his little potty so I left it and when we came home he refused to sit on the potty and would fuss when I tried.

I continued to ask him and try and sometimes he will and sometimes he won't. Here he is, being compliant.

Something about Oriental Trading Co catalog keeps him entertained enough to keep him on the pot long enough to know if anything is gonna happen. This time, not so much.

He peed this morning though! yay!
I keep reminding myself he won't go to College in a diaper....

Blanket Thief!

This is Blankie. I have had Blankie since I was born. Yes, you read that right. My Nana (dad's mom) made it for me when I was born.

Here is a close up. It's bunnies.

I have slept with a blanket for as long as I can remember. And I have NO embarrassment about it what so ever. Some think I should though. When I was tiny it was a cute little blanket that was a soft orange and had a silky edge and had a silky bunny in the middle. It was a very light knit and I would suck my thumb and stick it through the weave. That blankie lasted until I was about 5, until the holes got so big my Mom finally stole it from me one day. She replaced it with the mate that came with it, sans bunny and it was NOT the same (don't ever do this to your children! ITS RUDE!) I hated that blankie and barely handled it, snuggling it only in an emergency.

I later found the lavender flower one I eventually framed as a wedding gift to Zack. My aunt Janna made that one, again at birth. I loved it for 15 years or so, until it too became worn and ragged.

I tried to give up all Blankies when I got married, like I said framing it. I put a little card in there that said "I never thought anyone could ever replace Blankie until I met you"

Then I didn't sleep for 3 weeks.

One night as I lay awake talking to my attempting to sleep new husband, he rolled over and said "GO GET YOUR BLANKET". That was all I needed. I have slept with it since, every night. Though again, this is a different one than the lavender flower one. That was almost 8 years ago. That one is still in the frame.

When Grayson was born I vowed to "help" him find a lovey. I made him big blankets and little blankets and lovey's. He quickly fell for the frog blanket I made that has minkee on the back.
Then one day recently his love became an obsession and he started trying to lug ALL of his blankets around. He will cry at the top/bottom of the stairs when he wants to get them up/down because he can't see over them to walk himself. He needs to be carried- with his blankets.

One day, I don't know exactly when it happened, he asked for my blanket. And I gave it to him.

BIG MISTAKE.

I have not seen it sense except in passing. :(

I even tried to steal it back the second night he took it, and he woke up frantic screaming "Mommies Blanket?! Mommies Blanket?!?!"

So it's on to the next one. One of my best friend's Alex, got really sick with cancer in college and was too sick to leave home much of the time. So we would lay in his bed and talk for hours. I would often steal his blankie, that his grandmother had made him at birth. When all was said and done, he had her make one for me. Now I sleep with it. :)

Geneva's last diapers

These are the last 2 diapers I made for Geneva's son Jimmy. Thank you again Geneva for helping me with the mural. We love it!

G tea!

Today was the official G Tea at gHQ in Portland.

The house they work from used to be the Australian Embassy and now its gHQ in Portland. Jason, g-cofounder is from Australia. This is a pic he noticed at Trader Joe's up here, of their house! (Thanks, Jason for the pic lend, it was HARD to find on your blog!)

It was really great to meet a few friends I have been chatting with online for 2 years and still had not met IRL (in real life). They also had some discontinued G's for sale for less ($10!!) so a few of us local gals who could make it picked up some for the farther away gals. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a lovely group of woman, even if we are mostly online. Who know I would have internet friends?!

Anyway, here is a link to the video Jason took of some of us chatting up G's. ( I call a REDO, I think I look like a dork in that video!)
And some pics!

Michelle- head of Marketing and me

5 of the original local G-ers

Jenni B with some new and upcoming colors and patterns! I can't wait!

G diapers and me!

Many of you know that I love gDiapers and that since the moment I met the owners and many of the employees it has been my goal to someday work there. Alas, it has not happened yet.

But, always the ingenuitive little critter I have been volunteering for them for 2 years. I basically help them out with manning their booths whenever I can. Here we are when Grayson was little with our friends Stephanie and Sage.

This year so far I have worked only 1 shift but this weekend I am set to work 11 hours over the 2 days, between 2 events.

The first event I am very excited that I get to do is a Demo for them at Whole Foods in Bridgeport (12-3 come visit me!!!) on Saturday, ALL BY MYSELF! This is my first on my own g-adventure and I am such a dork, I know, but I am SO excited! Basically I stand at a table with little g's all around me and a bag of flushables and GUSH to anyone who will listen the amazing PRO's of G's and what an amazing company they are and such. So a normal day for me! :)

The second event is The Better Living Show. I will be working the booth from 6-915 on Saturday and 1-530 on Sunday, come by and visit. It should be a really fun event at the Expo Center in Portland.

I discovered gDiapers through a magazine ad when I was pregnant with Grayson. I immediately went out and bought a starter kit and starting flushing (clean) diapers for fun! Whoo Hoo! Zack just shrugged and rolled his eyes. I think he thought I had lost it!

I have always known that there had to be a better way than disposables. My mind swam every time I thought about the 5000 diapers each of my children would use and dispose of in their baby hoods. But until g's I had no idea what that would be. I had always heard cloth was so gross and who wants to stick their baby with pins. (We all know now that is not the case anymore- now don't we?!)

I started using g's shortly after Grayson's birth and you know what they say! I eventually started using cloth in them as well. I use a hemp and velour insert in them that is quite lovely against G's skin and cleans easily and well. They really are the diaper with options. I love that I can use flushies or cloth and there isn't anything that needs to change except what I stuff in the liner.

I am headed to gHQ (gDiapers' headquarters) tomorrow for the TEA, which is just a playdate for us grownups. The kids can come too, but its so not about them! :) Just kidding.

See you all this weekend! And if you haven't bought a started kit yet, for the love of Pete,
GO DO IT!

p.s. these are a few of the modeling shots they got of G in the products.

Dentist update!

I got up bright and early this morning which pissed me off at first since I had to be there at 8 am. But in hind sight its probably better Zack made such an early appointment, I might have canceled it otherwise.

And the dentist poked and prodded and came to the brilliant deduction that my tooth is in fact infected. After an Xray he figured it was a cracked root and not worth saving. So I am going back in next Monday to have it pulled at its neighbor my wisdom tooth which has a cavity in it, Mr. Dentist says its gotten to the point where it may start making trouble. (I already knew this but was waiting until Zack has dental insurance to take care of all of them at the same time)

And the best part is he is yanking both for the price of the first...
a two-fer...

get it... TOOTHER! LOL

I crack myself up!

Oh, and I lived through it.
Didn't even require an intoxicant or major psycological couseling after my appointment.
Yay me!

****UPDATE**** thanks everyone who has emailed me or commented about the dentist and my teeth! I never knew so many people had the fears I do of the dentist! Glad I am in good company... misery and all.

I HATE going to the dentist!

I have an appointment scheduled for 8 am at the dentist. Have I mentioned lately that I hate going? I can't remember when my aversion really started, maybe cause we never really went when I was a kid unless we had to, but somewhere along the lines I figured out that I hate it. Loath it.

I hate that I have to open my mouth so wide, and that then someone wants in there. I hate the buzz of the drill and the suck of the water sucker thing-y. *shudder* I hate how worked up I get, the butterflies that dance in my tummy the night before.

I tried going to the dentist like "they say" every 6 months, and without fail I have major work needing done. AND I BRUSH! (flossing I admittedly suck at) So for a few years I was going more like every 3 months, and still without fail, MORE WORK! So I started waiting (ie: putting it off) until I HAD to. I think the last time I went was right before I got pregnant with Grayson.

I hate the dentist.

And I know tomorrow is going to open a can of worms I can't afford right now to fix much less want to deal with. I am a firm believer in ignorance being bliss, sticking my Ostrich head in the sand.
now if I could just be an ostrich with perfect teeth...

~end rant~

Me's DO!

There are many new words floating around our house on any given day but one of my fave's and least fave's is "ME's DO!"

For those who don't speak Grayson that's "I want to do it please!"

He says it for everything including but not limited to: putting on his shoes, his clothes, getting in and out of his high chair, getting down toys off the high shelf and my favorite putting on his jammies.

We lay the out for him so he can sort of see where his parts are supposed to go.

Usually he gets one leg in and then goes for the zipper. We have to redirect him to find the other leg first... then its back to the zipper.

I was trying to get a cute one of his blue piggy Gdiaper that I embroidered, but all I got was this blur with my iphone. (If someone from Canon happens to be reading this and wants to gift me a Rebel XTi in exchange for me using it daily and blogging about it in every post you would make me a very happy girl!!! )

I have a lovely Canon Elan 7E but its a *gasp* film camera. I use it all the time, but its not quite as efficient for blog posts.

Well he finally got them on...right, oh wait. I see a problem. Took him a minute of chasing his zipper like a tail to realize this was not the ideal way to wear his footies. So off they came again, to try all over.

He did finally get them on, but its a fun process. I think we need to start our routine a little earlier.

I love watching this boy grow and learn.

Crappy teeth, crappy day.

yes, you are looking at my majorly inflamed tooth and gums. It is infected. And its a tooth that has already seen a root canal and a cap. Who knows why it is doing this. I talked to a friend who used to be a dental assistant and she said it may be a cracked root. Great. Its not all that sore, except when I push on it. As my dad would say "DON'T DO THAT THEN!!"

But I can't help it, it annoys me. TMI ALERT!!!! I tried to pop it, and it didn't work. Only made it hurt worse. Oh well. I did have Zack call his dentist friend who scheduled me for Monday, but was very concerned because it "sounds" so bad. So they said to go to

Urgent Care, hense the new jewelry.

I have never gotten one of these at UC. Only when I had my boys. I went Thursday night and they gave me antibiotics, vicodin and IB 800. I have only taken 1 dose of the IB 800. No Vicodin. I only took 2-3 doses after giving birth with a C section, I refuse! (after Jonathan's vag birth I took IB 800 a few times)

And to top it off I woke up sick yesterday. Ugh. Getting progressively sicker as the day went on. Zack too. Grayson is so far spared but unfortunatly that just means he has WAY more energy than both of us. We mainly just have a head cold, lots of running and congestion of the sinuses, which seems like it shouldn't happen together... but it is.

All of this has made for a rough day emotionally. To say that I am stressed out would be an understatement. I am really worried that we will lose our house now. I know Zack has been unemployed before, obviously, but somehow it was different. I just felt like there was always something right around the bend that would turn it around. I don't feel like that now. I just feel lost.

I feel like the whole world is crumbling down around me and I am powerless to stop it. It feels so hopeless. I am normally an optimistic person but today is just not my day. Maybe tomorrow I will wake up and not feel like the Universe is out to get us, but for today...

My job Loss- From Zack

Hello everyone that follows this blog.

It has been some time since I have posted here. The last time was to say good bye to my dear Angel Baby Jonathan.

As Jaimey had posted I lost my job on Monday. After a conversation with the consultant that hired me I discovered what I had already known. The company will not be hiring another sales person, and I think that they just did not know what they really wanted to do. I was given a months severance after working for a month. I think that speaks to their guilt for letting me go.

We have received so many caring calls and E-mails and I really appreciate it.

I wanted everyone to know that we will be just fine. Although we have been thru quite a bit over the past few months, we still have much to be great full for. I think that the present state of the economy has caused most people to ponder what is really important in their lives, and our trials combined with this economy has caused us to do the same.

I am not sure what what the future will bring, we may loose our home, we may loose all of our possesions...who really knows these days. All that really matters is that we have a lving family, and our love for eachother has only grown during these very tough times.

I do not know if I am just used to all of the trials, but at some point you just have to lay your head down at night and realise that all you can do is your best every day, and beyond that the rest is out of your control.

Many people have posted regarding our "bad luck" Jaimey and I think about the same thing all of the time. What have we done to deserve such a avalanche of touch breaks? I dont think that we will ever know the answer to that but what I do know is that people are defined not by how well they get thru the easy times, but how well they can overcome the challanges that life puts in front of them.

I guess what I mean to say is that I will never let adversity get me down. I will keep getting up regardless of how many times I get punched in the face. The reason that I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night is to make the best life for my family that I can. And if Jonathan is looking down right now at me, I want him to know that I would never and will never let the pain of his passing allow me the excuse to give up and stop trying.

Well that is the end of my rant.

Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read this blog, and send Jaimey and I your wishes and love. I am sure that we would not have been able to navigate these rough waters if it were not for your support and love.

Zack

Land Mines

Not long ago I showed Grayson where the crafts goodies where in my crap(ft) room that he was "allowed" to get into. In there was a bag of these babies. They came from a long ago baby shower I threw and I never had the heart to "throw away the leftover babies". So there they sit.

G became fascinated with them a few months ago and he would put them in play dough or just play with them, carrying them around with him in the house. Every now and then we step on one. This elicits quite the fun assortment of words from both Zack and I. But seriously, take a close look...

So you see those prong-y little arms and legs, like talons I tell you. Stepping on one is sure to illicit a $^!# out of the most conservative of folk!

I thought I had picked them all up and hidden them, but they always seem to pop up when you least expect them.

Enter the clowns. One of the things I "needed" for my cake class was these clown heads.

I didn't end up using them so I was going to return them. But G spied them before I could and they became his.

And now it seems the babies and clowns have an evil pact to destroy us. They lay in wait for the next tender bare foot to stumble near...

Funny thing is, ITS NEVER GRAYSON.... I think its a conspiracy.

Frustration!

I was just about to sit down and sew when I heard the front door being unlocked. Not a normal sound lately. So I go to make sure the boogy man has not acquired a key and sure enough there is my husband walking through the door. He says he was in the neighborhood. He avoided my eyes, I realize now, but didn't notice then. After he sets his stuff down and such he asks me to talk in the living room. Great, what now, I am trying to sew! (i know rude right?)

He says, He lost his job today! WHAT?! I know right, you are as blind sided as I was! I had no idea. They have been sending him to this expensive training and he thought it was going great. Apparently not. They said it was because someone called in about not liking a cold call he made to them, but when he reminded them that his calls are recorded they said it was just that he is not a good fit there. We don't know what to think.

The only good thing to come from this is that he got a month's severance, and now maybe he can get unemployment (you can't when its your own biz that you close). Things always happen in 3's right? So I am left to wonder what next?

Willow Tree in Grayson's Bayou

Here is the tree in G's room that Geneva did yesterday. We love it. My only wish is that we had planned better and put it in the center of the wall or something! Its so gorgeous I feel bad its hidden behind the door.

His initials, GAB.

It will be a focal point though because as you come in there will be a sign on this branch that says ...

I found this piece of wood when I was a nanny up in Washington at Puget Sound when I traveled with a family. I had no idea what I would use it for I just knew I had to keep it. That was 5-6 years ago. It has found its purpose.

I pay in Diapers!

My friend Geneva has been helping me mural Grayson's room (for the last year or so, but in my defense after I found out about Jonathan I forgot about the mural) Today she came over to help me by painting a willow tree on the walls behind the door. It is complete with a carving of G's innitials. As a thank you for the days and days she has spent helping me paint son's cute room I made her some diapers. Here are 3 of the 5 (the other 2 are in various stages of not finished...) This is a new pattern for me and I love it!!! It is similar to Happy Heinys, which I love also.

I am also making Grayson one of each of these as well. He is very excited and keeps asking when his will be done. Hopefully this weekend! More pics later when I finish the other 2 designs. And more on the tree later too.