How to get your toddler out of diapers in 4 easy steps

1. Spend 2 precious, rare, weekend hours to yourself sewing two new pairs of longies. When you find out they're too small, in a fit of frustration, spend tons of money to purchase two pairs of longies.*

2. Buy a pattern for big butt baby pants, designed especially to fit over bulky cloth diapers. Cut out fabric to make a pair. Cut it out again, because you foolishly cut the corduroy in the wrong direction.

3. Begin crocheting a pair of longies. Realize they're coming out too big, but continue on because she can wear them at some point.

4. Realize they're all unnecessary, because your baby has outgrown the need for diapers**.
...
*I must say, they were worth every penny; and no, I have no connection to this company. She'll continue to wear them as super-warm longjohns.

**After 17 years of teaching young children and advising parents on toilet learning, I learned about EC shortly before Lucy was born. It sounded like a great idea--for parents who could be one-on-one with their baby all day. But for a teacher of 6 toddlers? No way. So I put it out of my mind until she was 5 months, when I read some more about it and decided maybe I could do it part time. The first time I put her on the potty, she peed, and I was sold. I have been amazed and stunned by the whole process ever since. Hurray for teaching old dogs new tricks!

Independence Days challenge, week 16

snapping beans, baby style

Time again for Sharon's Independence Day's Challenge:

1. Plant something:
2. Harvest something: Eggs.
3. Preserve something: Dried 1 qt. apricots, 2 pt. corn. Froze 2 qt. corn, 4 lbs green beans, 1 1/2 lbs broccoli. Canned 16 qts. dill pickles.

We tried a new pickle recipe this year: inspired by Melissa at All Buttoned Up, we tried this recipe. They look good; will report on the taste later. Here's a scene from my life lately--doing everything, even hot canning work, with a baby on the hip (or in the sling):


(Please ignore the hideous outfit: it was in the 90s, and I was canning. That'll ruin your look any day!)

4. Waste not: Made diaper cover from shrunken sweater. Talked about EC to probably too many people. Lucy went a whole day in one diaper, even as we ran around on errands all day (She peed in three public restrooms. How cool is that?)
5. Preparation and storage: Nope.
6. Build community food systems: Nope.
7. Eat the food: We are horrible! We ate out far too many times this week.

Independence Days challenge, week 15

Time again for Sharon's Independence Day's Challenge:

1. Plant something: No.
2. Harvest something: Mystery squash from the compost bin. A few green beans for snacking in the garden. 16 lbs blueberries from Running Fox Farm. Bits of dill, sweet cicely, lemon balm, chocolate mint, thyme, rosemary.
3. Preserve something: Canned 1 1/2 quarts peaches (not much, but it's a start, anyway). 1/2 pt. dried peaches, 1 1/2 qt. dried apricots, 1 pt. dried plums. Dried bits of dill, sweet cicely, lemon balm, chocolate mint, thyme, rosemary. Dried 12 ears corn. Froze 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, 1 1/2 lbs green beans, 15 lbs. blueberries.
4. Waste not: In the past few weeks, we've started getting somewhat more serious about doing EC with Lucy. She's now peeing on the potty regularly, which means far fewer diapers (we use cloth, but still, it's a savings of diaper-service money for us, and a savings of water and energy in the cleaning.)
5. Preparation and storage: Added a bit more water to storage. Wrote an "Emergency Evacuation Plan" as a requirement for re-licensing my family child care, which is something I should have done anyway. It led to a list of things I want to prepare in case of an emergency involving the kids in my program. I've started preparing a "bug-out bag" for them, which should get me going on preparing ours, too. Got a nice wool blanket at a tag sale.
6. Build community food systems: I asked the parents in my program to help collect containers for storing water for emergencies. Will it help them think to do the same at home?
7. Eat the food: Lucy started solid foods this week. She's going local: zucchini, potatoes, green beans.