Ewokmama is moving

Hey all.  I have migrated my site over to my own domain ewokmama.com and will be posting there from now on.  Please reset your bookmarks.  I’m still playing with layout a bit but my content is there and I promise to pick up with the posting soon!

He’s at it again!

Jack has been drawing again! I love watching him draw. He didn’t pick up his magnedoodle for a few months and I worried that he didn’t like drawing anymore. When he picked it back up his drawings got even more amazing!

Rocket

And here is a video of him drawing a “bad guy.”

No Embarrassment

When we left the house this morning Jack was carrying a broken crab toy (last night’s bedmate), his magnedoodle (he is drawing again!), and a rammekin full of honey nut cheerios.  He was happy as can be wearing a Superman costume shirt under a red and black plaid jacket, with David’s bike helmet turned backward on his head so that the piece that normally braces the back of the head became a mask through which he breathed loudly a la Darth Vader.  He looked very “special,” especially considering that his hair stuck up out of the slits in the bike helmet.

My kid is awesome.  I love this stage where he has no self-consciousness.  I know it is too short a time in a person’s life and I rue the day it starts to fade (although I am still not embarrassed to goof off publicly…).

And the winner is…

Commenter #4

 

Zen Mama!

Not always sunshine and lollipops

Jack slept terribly last night perhaps due to nightmares?  It’s hard to say but he cried out in his sleep without actually waking up.  I stumbled to his room and lay down with him for a bit and he was fine.  Who knows, maybe he was just cold (he refuses to sleep with a blanket).

This morning, he woke up cranky as heck.  He yelled for me at the top of his lungs (getting louder the longer I took to drag myself out of bed).  When I went into his room, he told me he needed to snuggle and take a nap.  I told him it was time to get up and he started crying (well, more like whining as there were no real tears).  He walked over to his bedroom door and tried to shut it several times, slamming it against the frame because he neglected to turn the knob.  When I helped him out he was upset and made me open it again so he could do it.  Then he decided he DIDN’T want it closed – instead he wanted to look for his rocket in the dining room.  He cried that he didn’t want to stand in front of the heater to get warm when I huddled next to it and even went so far as to insist that I take my sweatshirt off (crying when I refused).  I was able to get a shirt and socks on him, but then he didn’t want to wear “that diaper” and would not wear shoes or sandals.  Furthermore, he got upset when my cell phone was referred to something other than a spaceship, did not and then DID want friendship bread, didn’t want to go outside or to daycare this morning, freaked about not having his cup of milk on the way to daycare and then asked over and over again where his friendship bread went (“Dude, you ate it!  It went into your belly!”)…this all in the span of about 45 minutes.

Needless to say, it’s days like this that make me insanely happy that I work.  Now if I just had a sleeping bag with me…

Last day to win Ecostore Gift Certificate!

This is the last day to leave a comment at this post to win a gift certificate to Ecostore USA.  I will choose the winner at random tomorrow morning!

Product Review: Ecostore USA Bath Products

I recently got a chance to try some new-to-the-US bath products and wanted to share my thoughts here for anyone else looking for something eco-friendly, animal-friendly, and chemical-free.  Ecostore USA makes bath and body products for babies, adults, and pets, as well as household cleaning agents.  They got their start in New Zealand 20 years ago and are now entering the US market through internet orders and Meijer stores.

For Jack I got the Baby Shampoo and Baby Body Wash.  I’ve been searching for some bath products that would work with his dry, sensitive skin.  Even at almost 3 he still has issues with “cradle cap.”  Luckily he has a ton of hair to cover it up but we have tried Johnson & Johnson, Method, and DHC products and none of them has made an impact on his scalp.  We tried the Ecostore baby shampoo this weekend and I totally fell in love.  It was extremely easy to rinse out (which is awesome because Jack has absolutely no patience for having his head rinsed) because it it not overly sudsy and sticky.  His fine hair was soft and shiny when it dried and there was a huge improvement in the dryness of his scalp.

I also got the Manuka Sandalwood Shampoo, which is marketed as helpful for dry, flakey scalps.  David and I both have dry skin issues and have difficulty finding products that don’t strip our natural oils or cause the opposite problem – greasy hair – so in my neverending pursuit to find a product that is just right, I decided to try this one.  Again, I totally love this product.  It doesn’t dry out my hair or cause crazy amounts of frizz (yet there is still body!) after using the shampoo.  The smell is divine and great for both genders.  I like the fact that a little bit goes a long way and the shampoo suds up, unlike some other organic products that I have used.  Even with the suds, it is not difficult to rinse out.

And now it’s contest time!  If you would like to win a $25 gift certificate to the Ecostore website, please leave a comment by Friday, April 17, and I will pick a name at random!

Also of note: Ecostore is offering free shipping on all orders over $25 for the month of April in celebration of earth month.

My books!

Check out my side bar!  I have adapted years 1 and 2 of this blog to book form (volumes 1 and 2 respectively).  These books will only be available for purchase for a limited time, so go get one if you want one!

Winner

By means of random selection, Annika at Through the Looking Glass has won a signed copy of Rebecca Woolf’s book Rockabye: From Wild to Child.  Congrats, Annika, and thank you for commenting!

Welcome to the world

A big congratulations to Jen on the birth of her second little boy Alex.  Welcome to the world, little dude!

And we’re off

Heading to the frozen north (Wisconsin) for a few days with the family.  See y’all next week!

6 things about me

Cat over at Misfit Motherhood tagged me for this.  Thank goodness because I’m busy today helping my sister-in-law find childcare for my adorable little niece and don’t have the brain power for a real entry.

The rules:
1) Link to the person that tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog.
3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4) Tag at least 3 people at the end of your post and link to their blogs.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6) Let the fun begin!

1. I wear white socks a lot because I like the style and texture (don’t care about the color). This bugs certain people, and…

2. …when somebody says I should or should not do something, it makes me want to do the opposite (’cause I detest social restrictions).

3. I am not a risk taker, and I calculate risk in nearly everything I do. I like rules and order.

4. I am extremely loyal and would do just about anything for my friends and family. I guess my “love language” is “acts of service.”

5. I am forgetful. I even forget how old I am. I forget what I did yesterday, what I said an hour ago, what you said just two minutes ago. With that said, I always remember little details and “rules” even if I don’t remember the rationale.

6. I am shy and somewhat reserved. It takes years (possibly decades) for me to open up to someone unless I am asked specific questions and then I will tell all.

I am breaking the rules and not tagging anyone.  Instead I’d like to know if any of this surprised any of my readers!

Suggestions for finding in-home daycare

This one is by reader request! 

If you are looking for an in-home daycare, I would suggest you start in the phone book (or use google) to find out if there is a childcare council in the area where you live.  These councils have listings of licensed daycare providers and can help you find one with openings and also give you tips on interviewing providers.  If you are a low-income family, sometimes you can get your costs subsidized through the council.  Also, some agencies require their providers to attend child development classes regularly in order to get referrals.

Prior to making phone calls, decide what you want in a daycare.  If you have special circumstances, like cloth diapers or a policy against television, you’ll want to make sure to ask about those.  There will be things on your list that you are willing to budge on, especially if you can’t afford your ideal daycare, but you need to know what those things are.  When you call around, ask those deal-breaker questions right off the bat to save yourself time.  Make in-person appointments with several providers who meet the basic criteria.

The questions you ask in the interview will vary depending on the age of your child(ren).  Remember: no question is stupid, and don’t assume anything (this includes the idea that the licensing agency has signed off on everything going on in the center).  I once assumed that a daycare provider, whom I met through a LLL group, knew the guidelines for storing and using expressed breastmilk but later found out that she was throwing my breastmilk out because she didn’t know heated milk could be reused.  She turned out to have a lot of other problems, but I didn’t know because I didn’t ask enough questions!

Here are some basic questions:

• What are your hours?  What happens if I’m late dropping off or picking up?  What is your vacation and sick policy?  How much do you charge?  Do you have an opening for my ___-aged child who needs care X days a week?  These are the logistical questions that can eliminate many providers right off the bat.
• Do you have experience with breastfed (or formula-fed) babies?  Describe your child’s routine, and ask if the provider will be able to follow this routine or need to make changes.  Also find out how you will need to transport your child’s food (some providers require you to provide several bottles with the milk in it, others will be fine with a large container from which they can prepare bottles).
• How will you work with us when it comes time for solids/potty training/etc?  Avoid providers who have a rigid timeline in mind – you want someone who will pay attention to your child’s cues and developmental readiness.
• How much holding time will my child receive?
• What are your nap routines and where will my child sleep?  For infants, I would steer clear of schedulers.  Also, kids will usually adapt to differences in routine between home and daycare, but it depends on your child’s personality and age.
• What is your approach to discipline?
• What age-appropriate activities do the kids participate in?
• Is there a trial period?  Sometimes the caregiver and child just don’t click.
• What is the caregiver:child ratio?  Make sure this is consistent with state laws, and consider whether your child will get enough attention.  I personally feel that ideally there should be only one infant under 1 in care if there is only one provider.

You want a provider who most closely matches your own philosophy for caring for children.  This person will be spending a large amount of time with your child, feeding, guiding and teaching, so make sure your family values are in alignment with theirs.  Also, make sure you feel comfortable.  Inevitably there will be something that comes up and causes you to question what happened during the day; as your child’s personal advocate, you need to be comfortable working through conflict and asking the difficult questions.

When you meet the provider in-person, try to do it as a family and go during the day so that you can observe the interaction with the children in care.  There is nothing more telling than watching a provider break up a conflict or dealing with the constant interruptions from the kids during your conversation.  A good provider’s attention will mostly be focused on the kids rather than you.

When Jack was 7 months old and we were looking for daycare, one of our visits led us to a grandmotherly type.  Jack was a big baby and required lots of holding and rocking to sleep at that point.  The woman had back problems and lived in a house with stairs.  The kids napped upstairs.  It was obvious that she would not be able to hold Jack often at all, and the thought of her carrying him up the stairs when it was time to nap was enough to make me worry.  Then I noticed how quiet all of the kids were, how shy they all seemed; it was completely unnatural.  When one of the children tried to ask the woman a question, she told her there would be no interrupting the adults and they would talk later.  She then turned to me apologetically and told me the child was quite chatty.  It would have taken her the same amount of time to answer the child’s question as it did to reprimand her, and the way she belittled the child’s age-appropriate curiosity right in front of her made it readily apparent that the provider was not in tune with the kids’ needs at all.  I was not about to pay someone to damage my child’s self-esteem!

Don’t forget to check references, and walk away if it doesn’t feel right.  You are the expert on your child and you don’t need a good reason to feel that a situation is not a good fit.  It is difficult to listen to that little voice inside when you are also worried about getting to work to earn your livelihood, but do it anyway.  When you go through the process of finding daycare, try to get a number of providers lined up in case something doesn’t go right with the place you choose.  Hopefully you will find the perfect place and your child will grow up with the provider you choose, but if not you don’t want to have to scramble at the last minute and end up with a provider you didn’t have time to screen.

Anyone have anything to add?

Request from the house of [achoo!]

You might have already guessed it but I will go ahead and say it anyway: our whole household is sick.  I actually am less sick than Joe and Jack, but that’s not saying a whole lot.  I think the biggest difference is that I complain less about feeling like crap (I’m sure you know the drill – husband and kid put a moratorium on all normal activities while ill and moan from the couch, whereas mom continues doing dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. to keep the house from falling into total disrepair and then gets the cold worse after everyone else has healed).

Since this cold has sucked away my brain power and energy, I’m asking for your help.  If there have been any questions you’ve wanted to ask, any topics you want more details about, or any other suggestions for blog topics for me, please share in the comments!  (If you want to throw out some random ideas, that’s okay, too!)

I am <3ed

Dawn over at Alex Year One (or as I call it in my head, Kaiser Alex I) has bestowed upon me some nice bloggy bling.

I generally don’t play along with these but I am in relatively good spirits with the new year, so I said what the heck!  I am just going to pick three of my favorite bloggers off the top of my head and please don’t be offended if you aren’t on the list!

Annika at Through the Looking Glass - Your blog shows me what I can look forward to next with Jack since Sam is a few months older, and I enjoy reading about your crafty accomplishments (as I have completely slacked off with regard to mine).  I admire you immensely for your devotion to staying home with Sam and unschooling with him!

Jessica at Oh, The Joys – You are clever and hilarious in your love of park rangers.  If you’re ever in San Francisco, let me know and I’ll make my hubs dress up in uniform for ya.

Amy at Musings of a Crunchy Domestic Goddess – I highly appreciate your candid posts on highly person topics such as (non)circumcision.  You are brave and so good-natured!