Rainbow Sandals

The crazy, cold, snowy weather we've been having that is signaling winter's last hurrah (I hope) has me dreaming of the summer to come. Also, I talked to a woman today who is about to leave for Hawaii.

If you fall into either the "dreaming and planning" category or the "lucky to be going on a tropical vacation" category, you should check out these rainbow sandals. These things look amazing. They are attractive sandals, yes, but also so much more. These puppies are made to last, with life support parachute stitching and 2,000 lb test military spec strap. They also mold to fit the wearer, so they become very comfortable with time. Very nice.



~t

Why doesn't my kid sleep through the night yet?

I suppose the title of this post is a rhetorical question. I know the reason(s). I suppose it's my fault. If you had told me 2 years ago that it would take over 2 years for my kid to sleep through the night, I probably would have had a heart attack 5 days before little Zane was born. Yikes.

It's the cosleeping and the breastfeeding, I think. That's what all the books say. But I can't really seem to stop either. I'm not looking for advice. I'm more venting, and also, I guess raising the "If this is you, too, you are not alone!" flag. I know other moms in this situation. For the most part, it's ok, and he will grow out of it. It just takes longer than other kids. It just gets, well, tiring. Ha. I'd like to put my kid to bed, at least some nights and not have to worry that I'm going to have to run up there 3 times before I actually want to go to sleep.

I know, there are things I could do to remedy this situation. But, there are reasons I haven't and probably still won't, so please don't tell me about them. It's just every now and then I cannot believe it, and I thought I'd tell you. There is the odd chance, however, that perhaps he'd sleep WORSE without cosleeping and breastfeeding.

Naaaah. Oh well.

~t

Scattered Zen

I'm trying to decide whether or not I think that title is an oxymoron. I guess not. Since Zen incorporates all, I suppose being scattered would be fine.

Scattered Zen is a new online community and store dedicated to health and living from a natural and renewable perspective. Right now they are in the building phase and excited to welcome new members, who will be Charter Members with special benefits as time goes on.

This is a cool way to create a community of like-minded folks interested in doing something good for themselves and the earth. There will be sharing of recipes and knowledge on the message board and in fully accredited articles and members will be able to sell their products in the site's store. Check it out!



~t

Irrational Moments in Parenting

So, Zane took forEVER to fall asleep tonight. And then he woke up about an hour after he went to sleep and I had to go back up there. And he took FOREVER to fall asleep again. It is cute and sweet, in a way--the way he rolls over and grabs me to make sure I'm not going anywhere. And yet, in another way, I just sometimes want to jump up and scream, "Go to sleep already. I have so much to do!!!" Luckily for me, my more rational side knows that would not work and would only ensure I'd be stuck in there for about another 30 minutes, minimum. Don't get me wrong--I really love cosleeping. It's great for so many reasons: the closeness, the security, etc. But the downsides just sometimes suck. Still, I wouldn't change it. I just find myself stuck in bed a lot!

~t

Climbing the Gate

Last night I heard Zane up and around on the baby monitor after he had been asleep. Sometimes I give him a couple minutes to see if he'll got back to sleep. He rarely does. I almost always have to go in and I almost always have to nurse him. Life with a co-sleeping toddler! So, I gave it a second and then I hear a CRASH and crying. We run there to see that he had gotten the gate to his room down somehow. I won't even think of the multiple scary connotations of this right now, just hoping it was a fluke. However, I know he's been really into trying to climb the gate and his playpen lately.

I asked him, "What happened? Did you try to climb the gate?"

And he, oh-so-proudly said, "Yeah!"

I have to try and get one of his "yeah"s on video. He has such a way of saying it. his intonation seems to say "heck YEAH!" and "of course" and "I'm proud of myself" all at once.

~t

Have a Crunchy Christmas

I used to be fairly crunchy. I used to be a vegetarian. I used to do yoga. Ok, not too much, but I did. I even have a fabulous yoga mat from Gaiam. Even though the yoga mat is now used for diaper changes, I still LOVE that store. I was actually a little surprised and excited to find that they had online coupons available. And they offer $4.95 shipping, which is a pretty decent deal. Their home page says "Shop. Learn. Travel." They are just so cool! Now, someday I will do yoga again.

~t