I feel like something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe today.  My big toe is still broken and therefore still hurts when I do things like walk.  I also fell up the stairs yesterday (yes… UP the stairs) while I was carrying Evie and in an effort to absorb the blow, I jammed my knee.  My knee is no longer purty.  It is ugly and it is sore.  My back hurts, my teeth and jaw hurt (still and again), I’m feeling crabby and stressed and it’s going to be in the 90’s today and I HATE that.

In other words: it’s a Wednesday.  Woo hoo!

***

I was thinking last night about cloth diapering and the whole other language and set of acronyms you become accustomed to when you enter into that lifestyle and community.  And how someone who isn’t familiar with it would think I have totally lost my marbles.  You need an example?   Okay, here is a sampling of “diaper speak” using my own personal diapering journey as an example.

We gave up sposies when my DD was about 8 weeks old.  I never tried NB dipes like NB Mutts or anything or even KL0’s.  We mostly started off with simple UBCPF’s in a PUL cover.  I also got some OS BG 3.0’s to use and loved them until I got completely frustrated by the Aplix.  While Liam uses pockets and we swear by FBs for him, Evie wears fitteds now.  She started with GMs which are also OS and that is how I justified the price.  But I’ve become frustrated by GM so we’ve  transitioned to snappiable fitteds like BSRB UF’s (I love BSRB’s TIAN diapers for nighttime!  Nothing works better!), SP’s NRSS and SBs.  All of them are also OS but much cheaper.  Well, the SBs and the BSRB’s are, at least.  We just love fitteds and using wool as covers.  It’s what got me to start knitting.  Now, my favorite thing is to work on a yymn slot with BFL yarn.  Love it!

See?  It’s like LATIN.  So how many of you understood any of that?

I will admit, it was the terminology that made me scared at first.  I’m thinking I’ll post up a “Glossery” of sorts on my cloth diapering blog, so that people who are new to the whole thing won’t feel completely intimidated.  Because clearly, cloth diapering needs a translator.

***

Speaking of cloth diapers, I have some new ones headed my way that I custom ordered.  Am beyond excited.  Am perhaps in need of a life.

***

Liam has become a “Cars” dictator.  He would like for nothing else to ever be on the television other than “Cars”.  I have to limit it to once per day or else my brain will start bleeding.  I put in “Finding Nemo” this morning and the kid practically had an anuerism.    Is there a 12-step program for “Cars” addicts?  Shopping for his birthday (which is in like TWO WEEKS)  (LESS ACTUALLY, omg) will be EASY.  Does it Lightning McQueen or Mater on it?  SOLD!

***

I kinda want to kick Caillou in the teeth.

***

I better get back to my knitting.  I swear, I’m such a slave-driver.  But I have a few things I simply NEED to get through this week and I think I have a chance at getting it all done.  Woot!

***

Happy Wednesday!  The weekend is halfway here!

_{(so it’s a day late… so sue me)}

Hmm. I see a lot of people writing posts today about ways they and their families are trying to be more environmentally consious and I feel a little guilty because I’m not doing anything besides what I normally do. It takes me a minute to realize it’s been about a year since I started using clothdiapers, and hey, maybe that counts as being environmentally conscious, no?

Yer darn tootin’ it is.  At least as far as I’m concerned.

So yeah.  We’re still cloth diapering  And I’m still loving it.  I maybe even love it more than I did last year when I first started out with my bumGenius pockets and gDiapers.  And from where I’m sitting, I can’t believe I didn’t try this before.  I have a good amount of misconceptions I’ve made in my life and the hassle associated with cloth diapering is DEFINITELY one of them.  But you know how it is.  It’s always easy to fear the unknown and I had no way of knowing that cloth diapers wouldn’t be any hassle at all until I went ahead and just DID IT.

People who are anti-cloth diapering (and who would these people be, besides disposable diaper manufacturers and their families??), always like to argue about the water/energy required to clean diapers.  I always roll my eyes when I hear that because, SERIOUSLY?  That is somehow worse than sitting in a landfill, poluting the ground water, for 500 years?  REALLY?  And, just so’s ya knows, Kile says our water bill hasn’t gone up at all in the last year since I’ve been cloth diapering.  And I wash about every other day without fail.  So you tell me.  Our electric/heating bill?  No different either.  HMM.  ISN’T THAT INTERESTING.

Anyhow.  I’m actually kind of sad that we’ll be taking disposable diapers with us this summer when we take our Big Trip to Disney World and Beyond.  I know it’s not feasible to cloth diaper on that trip and we’ll need less hassle (A LOT LESS HASSLE) instead of more but… dangit.  I kinda like my cloth diapers.  I’m gonna miss them for the week we’re gone.  YES, I’M SERIOUS.

I can’t tell you how glad I am not only to not be buying package upon package upon package of diapers each month, but not to be dragging out bags of dirty disposable diapers to the garbage all the time.  For the month that we had two in disposables, I honestly felt that not only was I literally throwing away money, but that I was single-handedly contributing to the problems our Earth is facing.

I’m a practical gal and I will ALWAYS prefer the option that is easier on my pocket book.  When I’m out of diapers, I just run a load of laundry.  And voila, I’ve got diapers.  It’s SO much nice to be able to REUSE something rather than continue the cycle of purchasing, using and throwing away.  And when I’m done with a diaper or want to try something different, I sell the old diaper (there are HUGE communities online for this and you can get quite a bit back on your investment, depending on the diaper) and use that money to buy something new.  I don’t have a single diaper now that I had when I started out a year ago.  And I’m selling off some of my (once beloved) Goodmama diapers and am getting four square into Bagshot Row Bamboo diapers.  It’s like crack man.

And Kile loves not seeing the constant drain on the bank account too, I’m sure.

And if it weren’t for cloth diapers, I would have never discovered knitting the way I have.  And I wouldn’t be making some decent cash knitting up pants, shorts and skirts the way I am either.  So there’s that.

Cloth diapers, man.  They aren’t the prefolds and plastic pants your mother used (though you can do that too, if you really really want to).

`

Have you ever felt that when things are really busy for you, that your attention is being pulled in fifteen different directions, that attention isn’t whole?  That your attention tends to fragment and splinter and so each issue, each project that is demanding your attetion only gets a fragment of it?  Because that is exactly how I feel right now.  For the last month, I’ve had more than a handful of different things clamoring for my notice and it’s almost made me become ADD or something.  I have a hard time concentrating on any one thing at any one time.  My brain is so full of thoughts that I am routinely forgetting things that I want to (or NEED to) do.

I’m not a fan of this.

I’m hoping to get things under control SOON.  And maybe, just maybe, once things are under control then I can start truly giving this poor neglected blog the attention it deserves.  I swear, the Blog Gods are going to come and take away my blog if I can’t start taking care of it properly.

I finished my first paid custom pair of longies late last week and they got shipped off in the mail on Saturday.  I am beyond happy with how they came out.  And I’m not even a fan of orange!  These pants are so bright and happy and fun that it truly was a pleasure to knit them.  I really hope their new owner loves them as much as I do.

Speaking of which, I’m thinking of doing a craft blog.  Okay, I just heard your brain explode over there.  I know it seems extremely foolish to start ANOTHER blog when I can’t even give the ones I already have the time of day anymore.  But before you chuck something at my head, I was thinking of having it be a ground-zero for keeping track of my customs list and posting pictures of my projects and maybe some tips and tricks as I think them up.  Yeah?  Good idea, huh?  So that’s one of the things that I’m trying to do but due to the fragmented attention, not so much yet.

I just got this fabulous diaper late last week.  It was one of the “SYOF” diapers (which basically stands for Send Your Own Fabric… sort of like a custom) that I was lucky enough to get in on.  It’s not my Holy Grail Diaper (that would be Wine Country) (and yes, I realize it’s fairly absurd to have a Holy Grail Diaper) but it’s way up there and I am beyond excited to have it.  Evie’s 1st Birthday outfit is sorta based around this diaper (provided I can concentrate long enough to plan/purchase/acquire the rest of the outfit!).

Harry has been having fun playing on my old-n-busted laptop while he’s on break from school this month.  And I thought this was too cute where the two little ones were clustered around him watching him play (Evie was trying to help, apparently).  I love these little moments where my three kids are coexisting peacefully together.  It helps make up for the times that Harry pushes Liam down or Liam chucks his sippy cup at Evie’s head.

Yep.  Those are my diapers.  All of the ones I have (so far) (I have at least two on the way), minus a plain one called “Iced Lolly” that Evie had worn to bed and was therefore sullied.  It’s kind of ridiculous how much I love these diapers, mostly because they work so damn well and look so damned cute at the same time.  (Seriously, ya’ll, NO BLOWOUTS.  EVER.)  Actually, I’m not sure I love Swords and Roses (the newest one and the one next to the pink kitty diaper).  But I’m trying to ignore that little voice that says, “SELL!”

On Saturday we drove over to Portola (about 30 minutes away to the north-west in Northern California) to hang out at a cabin with my sister in law and her family.  It was very snowy and pretty there.  I took this picture from the (dry and warm) back step.  I love my new camera and it’s bodacious zoom.

I love snow.  I love everything about it.  Well okay, maybe not driving in it.  But everything else for sure.  And I love playing around with the manual setting on the new camera, particularly the manual focus.  Hee!

Harry got a chance to go sledding while we were there and his feet didn’t freeze up and fall off despite the fact that he forgot to bring his boots.

It actually kinda kills me how big he’s getting.  He needs to KNOCK THAT OFF.

There has been a lot of snow and storm this weekend.  We were supposed to go back to the cabin on Sunday but they got like TWO FEET of snow so we decided OH HECK NO.  We stayed in town where we did not get two feet of snow but rather some cold and miserable “wintery mix”.  I think I would have rather had the two feet of snow.

And then yesterday was just a “free day”.  God, I love three day weekends.  Of course, now I’m going to be messed up all week long about what day it actually is.  Which doesn’t help my whole resolution to get things under control in my life.  This week I want to accomplish (in no particular order):

• starting the craft blog
• finishing the last minute special customs I’m knitting for my mom
• finish setting up my Hyena Cart shop
• return to posting here EVERY DAY
• post a couple things to my cloth diaper blog
• delete the Christmas songs off my iPhone to free up some much needed room
• reorganize my yarn stash and take inventory on what I have
• take inventory on my knitting needles and other knitting notions
• laundry and more laundry and then after that?  laundry
• dye the yarn I bought
• see if I can’t find a reasonable scale somewhere that will measure ounces and grams

Okay.  I think that’s all there is.  For now, at least.  So what are you hoping to get done this week?  I’m hoping none of you are feeling as fragmented as I am right now because it’s not a terribly happy feeling.  Happy Tuesday, ya’ll!

Sorry, no long and lyrical post today either.  But I did finish my first pair of purchased custom longies today and I am very happy about that.  My customs list is growing.  I’m setting up a shop on Hyena Cart.  I have posted a business thread at Diaper Swappers.  I think this business is going to go pretty well.  I’ve ordered more wool wash (in a yummy “Froot Loops” scent!) and some polymailers to send fluffies off in.  I’ve even ordered custom business cards!  Look at me, all official and stuff.

Mostly I’m just happy that I’ve found something I can do that can earn me a little extra money and produce something concrete.  Knitting has truly become second nature to me.  And yes, before you ask, I do plan to try socks sometime.  So far, however, the longies/shorties/capris/soakers/etc are keeping me pretty busy.

In other news, I’m truly impressed with how Harry is doing playing Rock Band (2).  I just watched him play “Nine in the Afternoon” by Panic! at the Disco on EXPERT and score 90%.  Not as hard a song as maybe “Chop Suey” or “Down with the Sickness” (both of which he plays often on hard), but STILL.   And here, he played “White Wedding” by Billy Idol, also on expert and also scored 90%.  He assures me he could do a better job.  And he blushes when I gush over him.  I know it’s just a game and all but DAMN.  Kid’s got SKILZ.

What, don’t most people take pictures of their diapers and then post them on their blog?  You act like I’m strange or something.  *cough*

Seriously though… doesn’t that bamboo velour look so soft and cushy?  I want an entire wardrobe made for me out of the stuff.  Of course, it would probably cost me roughly $13 million dollars.

And you know what else?  This isn’t my entire goodmama stash either.  I have more.  Not a LOT more, but more.  I have a feeling that I should be ashamed of that.  But I’m not.  Because look how pretty these things are.  And yes, I just said a diaper is PRETTY.  I dare you to argue with me.

Clearly, I need help.  I can give you the names now too, without looking them up.  I didn’t used to be able to do that.  The three plain ones on the left (top to bottom) are: Hawt, Plum and Mud Pie.  And the prints from left to right (top to bottom) are: Jolly Waffler, Wild Child, Dance Class, 1981, Ever After and Prism.  Yeah.  I DEFINITELY need help.

I’m also having a lot of fun with the new camera, testing what it can do and how things work.  And I love the zoom on this baby.  I can get pictures that I never could have gotten with the old camera.  Which, I’m guessing is the whole point of getting a new camera and all.

I can get a new glimpse at the same old mountain I’ve looked at out the back door for the last (almost) five years.  I can see details that maybe I never would have noticed before.

Like this building up on the top.  Sure, I’ve always known there was a building up there but now I can see MORE of it.  Pretty nifty.  I can see this camera and I having some great adventures in the future.  It makes me itch to go out on a nature walk and just take pictures of everything I see.  And thanks to my new 4GB SD card, I could probably take pictures to my hearts content without running of space.

I can take video too.

Yeah, that was a warning.  Be prepared.

So how is everyone else’s week going?  Am I the only one who just realized that Valentine’s Day is on Saturday and is therefore woefully unprepared to shower my loved ones with goodies?  Any fun plans for the extended weekend?  Do tell!  (And don’t let my diaper pictures scare ya’ll.)

It doesn’t seem fair somehow that it should be Friday.  I mean, it feels like the week only just started.  Which, you know, it DID.  But I’m definitely not complaining.  

This morning finds my mind full of all sorts of stupid things so I need to empty it out here on the blog so I can move on with my day. 

• We’re FINALLY getting some inclement weather.  Sure, it’s rain and not snow but at this point I’ll take whatever I can get.  I love love love looking outside and seeing the dark skies and foggy mountains.  It makes me feel so much more… mellow. 
• It’s looking like maybe, just MAYBE, I’ll finish my knitting project on time.  But I made some stupid mistakes last night because I was in such a hurry.  The good news is that I know what I did wrong and can make sure not to do it again next time.  But it still ruffles my feathers that there are flaws.  That’s what I get for being in such a hurry. 
• I’m selling off some old diapers that weren’t really working for us anymore and used the money from that to buy some new diapers that will (*cough*goodmama*cough*).  I’m excited for new diapers and just love that I can sell diapers in order to buy more.   And I also love having an excuse to stalk the mailbox next week.  Nothing beats getting some mail! 
• After eight years, I am just SO TIRED of political arguments.  If there’s anything the Bush years taught me, it’s that arguing with “the other side” does absolutely no good.  There’s no changing their minds and they can’t change mine so why even bother?  Still, hearing the same old rhetoric makes me want to bash my head into a wall.  I’m sorry, but no matter how hard you try, you jus’t can’t change history.  Sheesh. 
• Evie slept good for a couple nights there.  She didn’t come in with us during the night and slept through!  Last night, however, was a different story.  I know she doesn’t need to eat, I just think she gets lonely.  She’s a snuggler, that one.  And (it tickles me to say), she’s quite the mama’s girl.  
• Have I mentioned her rolling?  Because it’s downright adorable.  Crawling?  No.  Pulling oneself up and cruising?  No.  Rolling?  Oh heck yeah.  She can outroll the best of them.  She does seem rather adverse to being on her feet though.  She still tries to turn one ankle inward and if I try to help her take steps while holding onto her hands, she just locks up her legs.  Poor dear just isn’t at all interested with being very mobile. 
• But she is a hungry lass!  She loves the veggie and the cheese puffs from Gerber.  You know, those things that look like puffy cheetos?  ZOMG.  She thinks those are the second coming.  She’d cram ten of them at a time in her mouth if we let her.  It’s nice to have a good eater after having a picky one. 
• Speaking of Liam, he’s a wooly child.  Does it cause him physical pain to just BE STILL for five minutes?  Because I’m starting to think it does.  He’s trying desperately to throw off his last remaining nap but I’m not ready to give it up yet.  And depending on his mood that particular day, he can be rather awful to Evie.  I have to watch him like a hawk.  The popular refrain “Liam!  No!” is heard often around these parts.  
• I can has my new MacBook?  I’m so tired of using this tarnated Google Chrome.  It’s refresh capabilities leave something to be desired.  

Okay, back to my knitting.  Take it easy, folks and enjoy your Friday.  Weekend time!  Wee!