Old Timey Rhymes

A few nights ago I was laying down with Evelyn getting her to sleep and as per usual Max and Vik crawled in as well. Some nights I turf them back to their room and other nights I am content to let them snuggle in. This happened to be one of those nights.

The boys wanted a story but Eve was just about asleep so I wasn't going to be flipping on any lights at that point. It was dark and quiet and even my eyes were already closed. As I laid there I started to recite some songs and poems from my childhood. I am talking some golden oldies here. I thought I would share some of those classics here.

Five Little Monkeys (apparently there is controversy with this one, who knew??)

5 Little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, mama called the doctor the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed.
4 Little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, mama called the doctor the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed.
3 Little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, mama called the doctor the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed.
2 Little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, mama called the doctor the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed.
1 Little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head, mama called the doctor the doctor said, no more monkeys jumping on the bed.

Miss Polly Had A Dolly (lack of historical info...it MUST be old)

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick
So she called for the doctor to come quick quick quick
The doctor came with his bag and his hat
And knocked on the door with a rat tat tat
He looked at dolly and he shook his head
He said " Miss Molly put her straight to bed"
He wrote on a paper for a pill pill pill
"I'll be back in the morning with the bill bill bill"

Shortnin' Bread (written by James Whitcomb Riley in 1900. The song is much longer but these are the words that I remember)

Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' shortnin'
Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' bread
Get out the skillet, get out the pan, Mamma's gonna make some shortnin' bread

Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' shortnin'
Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' bread
Get out the butter, get out the jam, Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' bread

Polly put the Kettle On (originated in England late 1700s)

Polly put the kettle on, kettle on, kettle, on
Polly put the kettle on, we'll all have tea
Sukey take it off again, off again, off again
Sukey take it off again, they've all gone away

Great Things are Worth the Wait

At the very beginning of the January '12 Daddy joined a rock band. He has been in a variety of bands before from touring top 40 style to original bands. Then there is the stuff we do together not to mention the library of songs he has written himself.

The band he joined at the beginning of the year has a twist. They are a cover band. More of a full on act covering the Ramones, Blondie, and Cyndi Lauper. They also have their sights set on a big goal. International touring. Yup. That's right. Think tourist destinations. Think Vegas. Think HUGE hotels with clubs and bars where the band plays every night to a different crowd because the crowd always changes. Keeping the people entertained is priority #1.

Daddy was recruited into this band project by the frontman who has quite an impressive track record of rocking himself. They have known each other somewhat for a while and sometimes paths cross because they are meant to. The frontman of the Ramones act also happens to be married of the amazingly talented woman who portrays both Blondie and Cyndi (who she can pull off being a dead ringer for).

So what do you get when you combine years of hard work, major talent, and committed band members? You get something destined for great things. Something that is going to ROCK!!

Now the band started jamming and practising in January. Then in the early spring practices became more like rehearsals (like wigs and outfits style). May rolled around and they played a very specific show. It was a music video shoot really. The band ran through their act and it was taped on HD cameras and would be eventually edited.

So we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally the video was done. Aaaand it sucked. Don't get me wrong, the band didn't suck. The person who did the video editing sucked. Not only did it take longer that it was supposed to but it was a product that no one would be willing to put their name on.

The mastermind behind everything (who I will just keep referring to as Frontman) took it then upon himself to reedit and remaster the video and synched audio. I don't know if you have ever taken it upon yourself to edit a little movie or video or use iMovie but frustrating doesn't even come close. I have huge respect for this man for everything he has done with this band project.

So we waited. And waited. And waited. When you start waiting so long it becomes hard to keep faith in the project but I never let mine falter because I knew that is when I needed to have it the most. FINALLY the new video was finished. Aaaand it was AMAZING. I can not say enough what a fantastic job he did on everything. Since a picture says 1000 words imagine what some videos can say...

BLONDIE by Atomic Blondie

CYNDI LAUPER by True Colors

RAMONES by Maroons NYC

In addition to the videos being complete the web site is also up and running. You can check them out at Top Tier Tributes where there are a whole load of still shots as well as song lists. These rockers truly Rock the Rock. 

Now as you can maybe guess now we get to wait some more. It is time for the DVD to be farmed out to a variety of different booking agencies. See who bites. See where this goes. 

Summer and almost fall are over and the video is finished (which means Frontman's time is back available) the band will be back to rehearsing. That means normally a few nights a week and a weekend day are devoted to practice (not to mention the constant practice that Daddy does here around home). It may put some extra strain on me but I figure it is good practice for when the band has to travel and we don't go with them (although we hope to go along for a lot of it). 

With all that being said I'll close now. I think I'll give the videos another watch (Evelyn loves dancing to Blondie and Cyndi and fist pumps for the Ramones).

How About A Little Faith 2/2

If you made it through Part 1 and came back for more, good for you :) and Thanks!!

I'll add some more backstory here...

I have a fascination with other religions. I took a number of comparative religion classes in University. Not only did a gain a certain level of appreciation for other Faiths in this world but it gave me a deeper appreciation of even my own Faith. I feel that as a Christian/Catholic there is a lot that I can learn from other Faiths. In no way does the knowledge I gain from this affect my own personal beliefs. If anything it makes me that much more stronger in my Faith. I take that as a testament to my convictions.

At one point in my earlier twenties I took the Alpha Course. I don't remember a lot of specifics. I remember some speakers, I remember yummy dinners and I remember talks afterward. I know I learned from the experience. I know I grew in my love of Christ and began to see how while I understood Catholicism, I didn't really understand Christianity. I know I realized I had taken Christ a bit for granted. Without that course I also would be still stuck in a little shell where I could not talk about my Faith. At. All. I found it intimidating to speak about it. Going to the Alpha course and seeing how comfortable others were with sharing and praying together really helped me.

Speed forward to today. This moment.


I am at a point in my life now (I just turned 30! a month ago!!) where I feel a greater need to tend to my spiritual well being. I began the Good Morning Girls study of Colossians on Monday. I am three sets of verses in and I am already learning so much. The talk of hope and faith is right up my alley. I feel affirmed. I feel inspired. After reviewing the scripture and observations and discussing them with my Bible study buddy Becky I began to hear the music in my head and the perfect words. Words that are straight from Colossians. Hope. Faith. 

I dug out my Catholic study books the other day too. Getting them ready to be delved into again. Not often can you find a FREE resource that is so fantastic. The books are excellently thought out. They refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which I often refer to as "the big green book"). The study booklets are great and the fact I can answer the tests online is perfect. Each time I finish a book and complete the test I can order a new book. So far I have worked through We Believe and We Worship. I currently have Mary, Christ's Mother and Ours on the go.

I also at this moment have my Women of Faith study guide sitting in my lap. The one about Living a Life of Balance. I am vowing right now that I will have finished chapter one of this book before I go to bed tonight. Balance, here I am, come and get me.

Speaking of balance I have done an overabundance of writing today. Time to switch gears. Dishes, laundry and a workout are begging to be done. I'll leave you with this...

Together Again

On Sunday evening Viktor arrived home safe and sound after his week of fun. He was everything I expected: taller, smarter, stronger, wiser. He had a wonderful time bonding with his Grandparents. He came home with so many stories to tell of the people he met and the things he did. My mother had him draw a journal every day while he was there. From that I know he got to go on the quad with my dad, chop vegetables with my mum and had a very successful week of swimming lessons.

While he was away it was mostly business as normal here however Max did get a few extra treats. Like an adorable cooking set that was only $5!! He also helped me with all sorts of things. He really did rise to the challenge of being the biggest brother in the house (if only for a little while).

It is obvious I guess that in Vik's absence we decided to forgo the Nature Activity for week four. Well, not completely, but mostly. Last week's activity was about Ladybugs and while it would be nice to take the boys out to observe them, truth is that the boys just don't sit still quiet and long enough. We are working on it though. The other reasons was that the boys have seen a lot of Ladybugs. They are kind of old news to them. Tomorrow though before we do this week's activity we will read the Ladybug chapter and keep our eyes peeled while we do the new activity (of which is a little more exciting for the boys-I have a great place in mind to go to).

That is one of the nice things of nature, it is all synergy. Everything goes together.

One little exciting thing was that over the weekend Daddy and I shared our 5th Anniversary. To commemorate that I wrote and recorded a little song. You can all view it here :)

That is all for today. See you on Thursday for our Week Five activity called Handy Plants (this will be a fun one!)

Father's Day Weekend

It is often rare that Daddy gets a day off over the weekend. Whether it be on renovations or band rehearsals Daddy is usually booked up at least one day of the weekend (if not both). This weekend however brought rain to our area which meant he couldn't do his regular work and there were no rehearsals this weekend which meant we had Daddy all to ourselves.

We had a fun filled weekend that included, video games, long walks at the park, river drives, supper at Boston Pizza with my Dad and many other little things that we just plainly enjoy doing.

I also got made Daddy the perfect gift. It started with a pin on pinterest (like so many of my great ideas do). It was super easy.

It was a MAN BOUQUET!!!!!

If you search in pinterest or on mother google for the term "man bouquet" you will find a plethora of pix and blog posts on these so I won't take any credit for the idea. Nor do I know where the idea originated to give credit where it is due. Nevertheless it was simple to make and in many way practical yet still fun.

To start you will need: tape, a package or skewers, and some scissors. You will also need a small sized flower pot or planter, some fake greenery, and a piece of foam. Then the fun part is picking out the fun stuff you are going to put into your man bouquet.




Step 1: Put foam in planter
Step 2: Put greenery in planter over foam
Step 3: Tape your items to the skewers
Step 4: Stick skewers in the foam
Step 5: Say Voila! and present it to your man, and prepare for him to be wowed!













I had a lot of fun picking out the things for Daddy. There were the obvious choices like a few of his favourite treats...

...and a few little mini bottles...

...I thought I had a pretty good idea to put a couple of lotto tickets in (one even won $20!!)...

...and Daddy likes these mini cigars as a rare treat..

...Lastly the BEST PART was the stuff I got from the music store...

Daddy loved his gift and I think I should do it every Father's Day. Make it a thing. Change it up a little every year. It's like a Christmas stocking in June, how awesome is THAT!

A Whole Lotta Random

Good Day! And indeed it is a good day. While my thoughts have been abducted by some family drama as of recent and interrupting some blogging I also have many things going on. Busy doesn't begin.

I do have a fun project coming up that I am really looking forward to blogging about. It involves nature, 52 weeks, and 4 seasons. All will be revealed shortly (as in only several more days until the summer solstice shortly).

There are a few things I promised to blog about in the past that I just wasn't able to get to it. Some of those things now even seem redundant or irrelevent to post on now (Easter anyone?). Some of those things, like the Brtiax B Ready stroller are still very deserving of a post and still pending. I hope to get rolling on some of those very soon. I'm thinking some videos demos and reviews are also in order.

So here is a short update:

Things were quite busy around home the last few weeks. For one, Daddy was away for 9 days on a renovation job out of town. Yup, just me, three kidlets, the dog and the cat in our small abode. It had some ups and downs but we felt is was a great experience. It was also great practice for those times when Daddy has to go away to rock and we stay home. We had some great routines and patterns and I gained A LOT of confidence in myself. Dare I say I look forward to a few more occasions where I can dig in my heels and be both parents (but not in a long term sort of way). There is a definite dynamic shift when Daddy is gone and in short doses I like it. Don't get me wrong though. WE MISSED DADDY SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!

A big development around here is Max is potty trained. Max is what I would figure to be a later potty trainer. He is almost 3 1/2 and we didn't give it a good go until the last few weeks and I ran out of pull ups and refused to buy more. There have been many pee accidents and many poo accidents but we are currently hitting 80% success right now. I'm pretty trained myself now to watch the clock and every 3 to 4 hours get him to the potty. This past week though he has taken some initiative to go on his own, only had a few dribble accidents, wakes dry every morning, returns home from outings dry and has even had some pees out and about.

Other than that it is pretty much business as usual. Daddy is back from out of town and back to regular band rehearsals and long hard work days. While he is busy working I am busy taking care of the home front and every single thing that implies (finances, homeschool, kids, cleaning, cooking......). I did happen upon a very intriguing blog while Daddy was away which I have to admit gave me some great insight into the splitting of responsibilities we do have. Take a moment and pop over to http://womenlivingwell.org/. If you have a penchant for the 1950 husband/wife dynamic, like to homeschool and love the Lord then you will love this blog.

On the band front...they had their video footage shooting almost a month ago now and hopefully in a few weeks the video will be ready and be sent to the booking agencies (I am crossing EVERYTHING!). I am using every piece of The Secret I know to make this happen. That band does their part and I do mine. We are dreaming every day (and night) about international travel, flying with the kids, exposing our to the world, new tastes and new sounds.

Well there it is for now. Sorry for the shwack load of random thoughts. I just wanted to quickly write something out. Make sure people don't think I have forgotten them. In fact I guiltily think about how I should write more ALL THE TIME! I even have lots of good ideas. Getting the time? That is the ticket.

Thanks for stopping in today. Have a happy day :)

Practice Makes Perfect

When I was a little girl taking piano lessons I always hated the phrase "practice makes perfect". While I enjoyed playing I hated having to do endless scales and practice boring songs over and over again. Through the course of the year's lessons my hours of practice would eventually pay off in the form of passing that year's Royal Conservatory Level and perhaps even winning a few awards in the local festival. Several performances and recitals later I was a better pianist, vocalist and musician. See practice does make perfect.

As I got older I honed my practice skills. I became a more efficient student of music.  I focused on the trouble zones. Pulled them out and ran through them until they were perfect. No sense repeating the parts I already knew. Oddly enough I even enjoy running through some scales now. Turning the metronome up a notch. Challenging myself to go faster each time.

There has been a lot of music practice in our home the past month and a half. Lots of piano, guitar and singing. It's been quite nice actually. Fewer games. Less movies. Way more music. It's a place I am really happy to be in.

We have a few different musical projects that require focus and discipline and have brought on this onslaught of practice. First and foremost Daddy has been accepted as a guitar player for a band that acts as 3 cover bands and an original band. The band leader needed a kick ass guitar player and that is where Daddy came in. Therefore, I have been hearing tons of Blondie, Cyndi Lauper and Ramones as well as original music from the band. This particular project is quite exciting as there seem to be some interesting prospects involved. I have heard the terms booking agents and international touring in serious conversation.

For a taste of how the band rocks check out this video on youtube or the CD clips available on kellyfairchild.com and on iTunes.

In addition to that we are also working on our own original material for our God Rock duo. There is a lot of material to go through and right now that means a lot of arranging and perfecting. Even still there are parts I have to pull out and go over and over to get them just right. A few of the songs are tight enough that the next step is getting parts recorded followed closely by securing more opportunities to play out. I've even gone so far as to apply for a SOCAN licence.

With all that being said there is a lot of perfecting and practicing going on here. However, that phrase I once despised applies to all areas of life. Whether you are writing a new song, studying for an exam, prepping for a job interview or learning a new language. Practice. Go over and over in your head.

Even children need to be told that constantly. They are learning so much and those skills need to be developed. Practicing their letters, numbers, sight words, math skills...Growing up we were never even allowed to say "I can't". I have even heard myself telling my children not to say that and of course saying "practice makes perfect".

It's only a matter of time now before that simple at home practicing becomes jam sessions and then full out rehearsals.

And on that note, it is time to go practice.

That Closed Door Opened a Window

I'm sure you have heard the phrase "when one door closes and another window opens". There are a few variations of this phrase but they all mean the same thing. It's a phrase meant to pick you up when things go south. It is a way of looking towards the future after an upset in your past or present. In some ways it means that there are opportunities waiting in the wings that would otherwise be inaccessible if the door had remained open.

If there is one thing I am it would be upbeat and positive. I am always looking for that silver lining in a dark cloud and it usually doesn't take me long to find it. I may feel guilty about it but at times I can be gripped more by the happiness and excitement of the opened window than the grief and sadness of a closed door.

Perhaps one of the reasons that I can be so optimistic is that I know my life is only partially in my hands. The rest is up to fate, the Lord and the big wide universe. There is only so much I can do. My job is to make the best of what is handed to me. It is my faith in God and my faith in, well, faith itself that keeps me going.

With all that said I do have dark days. It's not happy happy all the time. Sometimes the rain melts away the sunshine and lollipops. I just rest assured though that when I open the window when I'm ready the light will shine brighter than before.

Having had a recent upset in my path I am using all my positive thinking to keep my eyes ahead on the big open road of life. I've always found writing to be cathartic and healing. Pain can make great poetry. Here is a little something I wrote recently. It still exists only as words but I have a melody forming in my mind to accompany it.

Ebb and flow baby
That's how life goes
Things come in
People go out
Life is one big show

Just like the tides baby
In and out they go
People leave
Leave for where
For places still unknown

The sun and moon baby
Always setting but never gone
Like angels watching
Lives unfolding
Life goes on life goes on

Yes it does. Life continues. Generations form. Families change. Babies are born and people pass. You can't change it or stop it even if you tried. If you have a similar faith to mine you can be content in knowing that while physical life has an ending the spirit goes on, and on, and on and on.....

Life and Love and Hope. THAT makes me happy.

The Big Show

A while ago I mentioned that Daddy and I would be playing a little show for a fundraiser. This past Friday, September 30th was the fundraiser. We practiced and practiced our four chosen songs over and over and over and over again. We organized our babysitting and closer to the day I began to wonder what I would wear (picked up a cute top and earrings and shoes the day before the show).

The day of the show was busy. I had practicing to still do, had to tidy the house and Daddy still worked a full day that day. My sister came over to watch little girl and the boys went over to granny's house for a sleepover. We were very lucky that our friend was available and kind enough to come and video the show for us (she has since said that if we have other shows then she would video that as well).

Seeing as how it was a fundraiser there was a $10 charge for entrance to the "coffee house" and they made extra money through concession sales (I had tea and sugar cookies). The church basement it was being held in was done up with twinkle lights and other decor which made for a nice venue.

Overall it was a FANTASTIC experience and a taste of greater things to come. There were a few mistakes and stumbles along the way but nothing that anyone could tell (or at least I think...you tell me). One thing that I really liked about it was that because of the venue set up there were still people talking which provided a distraction-a distraction that I did not succumb to, that in itself was a great learning experience.

Lastly, I was thrilled at how well my original compositions went over. Getting up on a stage and performing is one thing, but to perform you own work is both humbling and daunting. You never know how it will be received. In this case the audience was in approval.

As I said before we had a friend video tape the show for us. We played 4 songs, each of which has it's own video.

This first video is of the first song I wrote on guitar. I actually have two versions of it. There is piano version which I previously posted the youtube link to. This (obviously) is the guitar version which is a tad peppier.

IN GOD

THE SOURCE

ASK THE LORD

FEEL THE LORD

I hope you enjoyed watching the videos. Please feel free to share them. I need all the promotion I can get.

Rock On!

Videos

Last night while playing some piano I had Evelyn on my lap. I was just messing around with some rhythm in the bass clef while Evelyn slammed her fist into keys in the treble clef. By chance she hit a note combo that met my note combo in a sweet sound. One thing led to another and a song was written. This morning was a continuation of that inspiration where the song received words. I called it Evelyn's Song. It is a lullaby for my sweet girl, and all of my sweet babies actually.

Once the song had words I wanted to quickly record it so I didn't forget it. After a few recordings (using my iPhone voice memo app) it turned out really well. I really wanted to share the song on Facebook so some girlfriends could hear it. At this point I haven't figured out how to actually upload just a song to Facebook-I don't even think I can. If someone knows please, TELL ME!

So in order to share the song I had to use iMovie to make a video, it is a semi-random sampling of family pix. I say semi random because I chose pictures where they were sleeping (mostly) but I also just briefly scanned for good ones. Making the video also gave me a great chance to work with some of the iMovie tools (I've had this Mac for over 1/2 a year and still know just a scratch of what it can do).

With the video done I decided to finally make a youtube account so I could upload it. In addition to Evelyn's song I also posted a video in the same style which was the first project of this kind I did. Click on the following titles to go view the videos.

Evelyn's Song
In God

Bright Idea

So every once in a while I will get a bright idea. It's not that I don't think not bright (I like to think I am rather intelligent) but more so than on occasion a particularly bright lightbulb pops on. A spark that speaks to my creativity and imagination. Are you wondering what this bright idea was? Don't worry, I will tell you.

Daddy and I are always working on our music. Thinking of ways to get out there. How to get known. To get any recognition in the music biz you need a following. We have a few plans out there. Ideas that at one time were revolutionary but now a days spin out teeny bopper music sensations-yes I am talking about the youtube music video. I'm not knocking it, don't get me wrong. We definitely plan on getting some youtube videos going (whatever video we get at our upcoming set will be going on both youtube and my personal Facebook page). Other ideas are obviously a web site and of course just getting out there playing. We are also currently working on a promotional packet that we fully intend to send to the submission departments of the major Christian recording labels.

Sorry, I've become side tracked. Those are some ideas from the past but back to the one from today. I have recently become enthralled with Etsy. You can find EVERYTHING on there. I discovered that EVERYTHING also includes music. People sell their CD's, downloads, etc. on Etsy. So really it wasn't MY idea but you get the drift. So in addition to all of our projects we have going on we will be opening up an Etsy shop where we can sell our music. This works awesome for us not only for exposure and getting our name out there but also because it allows us to not have to narrow down one genre. While we play great music together we are equally talented as solo artists and although we primarily work together in a Christian music sense we have other musical pursuits. Having an Etsy shop will let us sell a wide variety of music including Christian, Children's, Classical Piano, Original Composition etc. If we can record it, we can sell it.

With all that in mind stay tuned for youtube links for any videos we post, a link for our duo's web site and of course information about our Etsy shop.

Hitting the Stage

I am very excited that in a few short weeks Daddy and I will be playing "out". That's right, on September 30th we will be rockin' the roof at Holy Family Parish. It has been far too long since one of us has been on stage in some form and even longer since we have been on stage together. I am looking forward to this opportunity with great anticipation (and anxiety).

Since we are a duo, Daddy and I, have a fairly simple set up. Two guitars, one mic for sure, two if we can figure out some backups for Daddy. More than likely we will both plug in the electric acoustics. Our set list will be short, kept to about 4 songs tops.

I am still not 100% sure on what our set list will be but I am really hoping that we can hammer out one of the newest songs I have been working on. It has a bit of a bluesish bass bit (as blues as this former farm girl can get) and while the lyrics are fully complete here is a sample...

"Every day, is like a fight, tryin' to get closer to the light
Time flies so very fast, so for now, I've having a blast....


....and who says you can't ever go home
but for someone who's never left, never left
how the hell would you know...


You do it right, you do it wrong
Tryin' to make yourself belong
It ain't healthy, it ain't wise
But I'm no saint so I won't criticize...


...and you're never gonna make it on your own,
who's got your back,  pickin' you up,
keepin' you on your toes..."


One of the best parts about this little gig of mine is that it is for an great cause. It is a fundraiser for the Catholic School of Evangelization which is a non profit organization and runs completely on donations and fundraising efforts. This particular fundraiser will be done in a coffee house fashion and the organizer is a dear friend. If you are interested about the fundraiser or the organization itself please visit Anita at the Catholic School of Evangelization.

I better run now, I have LOTS of practicing to do.

Another notch in the belt...

Just to clarify I’m not talking about a notch in THAT belt. This would be a notch in the belt of natural parenting. When it comes to natural parenting I feel that that are many definitions, descriptions, ideals and definitely opinions. Not just little opinions either, these are big hot topic opinions. On natural parenting forums all over the internet women hash and rehash old and new debates on old and new topics in often civil but some in down right nasty ways. 

How someone else defines and understands natural parenting is none of my concern. To each their own. If a child is fed, clothed and loved who am I to judge. I am by no means a full fledged member of the natural parenting community myself but I do like to sample here and there, kind of like a Christmas and Easter Catholic. 

For me natural parenting is a throw back to simpler things. Having children need not be confusing and high tech all the time (although I do love me some technology). Here are just a few terms involved in the world of natural parenting: breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing, baby led weaning and cloth diapering. Beyond the basic baby care there are controversial subjects such as non vaccinating and non circumcision. There are those who view natural parenting on a more literal sense meaning such things as organic food and chemical free cleaners. Those who decide to homeschool their children (such as myself) often see that as an extension of natural parenting as well.  

This is just scratching the surface though. Each topic has it’s own side topics and each side topic...well you know how that tune goes. What I’m saying is that there is so much information out there. If you are interested in any of it seriously do research and do it well. Find first source material, not something someone said or interpreted to suit their argument. The way I see it if it feels natural to you well then there ya go. As in anything make sure you are making the right decision for you and your family. Not all aspects may be for you. Don’t just drink the kool-aid cause you might regret it.

In the Sanford family though natural parenting includes: breastfeeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping, baby led weaning and homeschooling. We aren’t doing any of these things to be trendy or crunchy granola or whatever. We do it because this is where our lives and the choices we have made have led us.

Enough of the public service announcement spiel. Now back to our regular programming...uh I mean posting. The notch on the proverbial belt of natural parenting.

Very soon we will be....CLOTH DIAPERING!!!! I am unbelievably excited about this. I have wanted to cloth diaper for years. While pregnant with our 1st I saw a demonstration at a baby trade show on cloth diapering and I was hooked. For reasons and circumstances at the time though it just never panned out. With our 2nd Daddy vetoed it in favour of disposables because they worked so great the first time. With our 3rd though I have been bitten by the bug again and bitten hard. I pitched the idea to Daddy and my long term nay sayer to cloth diapering said YES. I couldn’t believe but I did craft a good argument for it. Mostly though I change all the diapers so it gets to be up to me how I do it. 

Back when I was first looking at cloth diapering my biggest concerns were chinese cotton, indian cotton or prefold. The diaper wraps were fairly basic, plain and plasticy. My how the world has changed in just a few short years. There are different styles, closures, patterns and of course price points. I won’t go into detail about it because I know I can’t do it justice but for a great cloth diapering 101 check out Caterpillar baby.

After a lot of looking, researching and deliberating Daddy and I have decided to go with pocket diapers. The next closest thing to the convenience of disposables are all in ones but that is a little pricy so pockets it is. I am trying not to get swept away with all the cute colours and patterns but it is hard. Since we still would like more children though I know I can’t just go all out pink because that would defeat the cost saving purpose if we had another boy. Oh don’t worry there will be cute pinks and flowers but there will also be bright colours like blues and greens and yellows.

I will for sure need to figure out how to put pictures on this blog soon so that when I receive my load of fluffiness in the mail I can show it off. I’ll be ordering next week my start up batch of stuff so it won’t be long (Insert squealing with glee here).

Before I conclude this post I have to say that I missed giving baby girl a shout out on Thursday. My sweet girl is 4 months old now. She is getting to be quite a mover, squirming and rolling all over the place. She is getting chunkier too. Already 1/3 of a year? Is that possible? I know it is but it still gets me every time. 

With that in mind I will leave you with a lyric from one of my newest songs I’ve written... 

“Everyday is like a fight, tryin’ to get closer to the light. Time flies so very fast. So for now, I’m havin’ a blast.”