I just found out that the NCO Wives Club has been reactivated!! It's the only remaining one in the entire Army. I'm so glad to see this. I have never had any desire to be any part of a spouses' club because there were only two options, Officer and Enlisted. Obviously, I was not eligible to participate in the Officer Spouses' Club. It looked like a lot of fun, though. They had socials, and galas, and craft bazaars... They even had their own facility! The Enlisted Spouses' Club, which I could have joined, was just not the same thing. They really seemed to cater to the lower-enlisted spouses. They did things like budgeting workshops, classes on Army benefits, and other boring stuff that is decidedly not social or fun. They didn't have their own facility, and usually met in places that were kind of... yuck. Needless to say, I wanted no part of that.
When we came here, I had read in a now discontinued publication for NCO wives that there used to be an NCO Wives' Club on this post. It was the first one in the Army, and although there had been others founded later on other posts, this post's was the original. Of course, as political correctness took over, the rank-based wives' clubs were eliminated. The NCO Wives' Clubs were the first to go, and the one on this post was not active by the time I got here. The building was dilapidated, and the website practically had cobwebs on it. This wasn't surprising, of course. Even now, many posts across the Army are eliminating all rank-based clubs in favor of one "United Club", although some still hang onto separate clubs for Officer and Enlisted spouses. I figured one of those things was what was happening here, and put it out of my mind.
Today, all that changed! I got word from a fellow NCO wife that the club is reactivated. The building, which still belongs to the club, is being renovated so it can be used as such, but there will be meetings in a temporary location, and there is even a full calendar of events in the works for this fall!!! I'm thrilled. I'll be at the next meeting (which, I think, is actually the first meeting since reactivation), dues in hand. I never thought I would join a wives club, but this is different. I love traditional Army, and this is about as traditional Army as it gets. I'm so glad it happened while I'm still here, and still eligible. I have to be a part of the Army's last remaining NCO Wives' Club, even if only to say I was!
Mrs. SSG M approves BIG TIME.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
NO! You may not!
We have orientation at Erin's school on Thursday in the afternoon. We were planning on all going, and it being nice. It's going to be hectic, of course, because we'll be meeting Erin's teacher, getting the tour of the new school building, and also registering her for violin lessons and finding out the details on that. There is a lot to do, but I figured it would be fine because me and Thak could handle it all together.
WRONG! The unit has decided to have a safety day on Thursday (mind you, they do this about twice a month, and it's the same crap every single time) and there is absolutely no way they will let any soldier out of it for any reason at all. That's crap for many reasons. For one, like I said, they do this like twice a month. It's not like they're going to be telling Thak anything he hasn't heard dozens of times already. For another, and more glaring reason, when El Paso Independent School District does anything, Ft. Bliss practically treats it like a national holiday. I mean, soldiers barely have to go to work at all on their kids' orientation days, first day of school, last day of school, or anything in between. If EPISD says jump, Ft. Bliss starts jumping and doesn't stop until told. Sounds great until you think about the fact that a huge part of the city is not even serviced by EPISD (our metro area has EIGHT school districts, three within the city limits. Even if Erin attended public school, she would not be in an EPISD school because of where we live, and we are well within the city limits.) If anyone whose kids aren't in EPISD schools has to do something for their kids, relating to school, they're told no most of the time.
Apparently, unless you live in an absolutely disgusting part of town, and send your kids to absolutely disgusting public schools, you don't count. Real nice, Ft. Bliss, real nice.
What do you want to bet I'll be walking her to class on the first day of school by myself, too, even though every Army brat in an EPISD school got walked to class by their daddy in uniform on the first day of school. It's a nice tradition... one our family is excluded from because we seek a better education for our daughter. Real nice.
WRONG! The unit has decided to have a safety day on Thursday (mind you, they do this about twice a month, and it's the same crap every single time) and there is absolutely no way they will let any soldier out of it for any reason at all. That's crap for many reasons. For one, like I said, they do this like twice a month. It's not like they're going to be telling Thak anything he hasn't heard dozens of times already. For another, and more glaring reason, when El Paso Independent School District does anything, Ft. Bliss practically treats it like a national holiday. I mean, soldiers barely have to go to work at all on their kids' orientation days, first day of school, last day of school, or anything in between. If EPISD says jump, Ft. Bliss starts jumping and doesn't stop until told. Sounds great until you think about the fact that a huge part of the city is not even serviced by EPISD (our metro area has EIGHT school districts, three within the city limits. Even if Erin attended public school, she would not be in an EPISD school because of where we live, and we are well within the city limits.) If anyone whose kids aren't in EPISD schools has to do something for their kids, relating to school, they're told no most of the time.
Apparently, unless you live in an absolutely disgusting part of town, and send your kids to absolutely disgusting public schools, you don't count. Real nice, Ft. Bliss, real nice.
What do you want to bet I'll be walking her to class on the first day of school by myself, too, even though every Army brat in an EPISD school got walked to class by their daddy in uniform on the first day of school. It's a nice tradition... one our family is excluded from because we seek a better education for our daughter. Real nice.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
You have a choice, you know.
I'm really annoyed with Army wives I know. It seems like 'tis the season the play the victim, and of course, the perpetrator is the big bad Army.
Now I dislike the Army life more than anyone else I know, but I don't get these people. I really think you lose a lot of validity when complaining about your husband being deployed for all your kids' major milestones if the guy was a wartime enlistee, enlisted after you were married and had a couple kids already, and keeps reenlisting time and time again. If you guys really valued him being around for the important stuff, he'd get out. Hell, he never would have enlisted in the first place. Since he does, and he did, I don't really buy that you guys value him being around for important things all that highly.
I'm tired of people acting like they don't have a choice when they do. Life outside the Army is harder because everything isn't handed to you, and nothing's guaranteed, but you won't have to put up with Uncle Sam's incessant bullshit. It's still a choice you can make. All things in life come with tradeoffs. In the Army, the tradeoffs are pretty serious. Are you willing to give every other year of your marriage and your kids' childhoods, and potentially your husband's life, for some health insurance and a discount on groceries? I'm not. If you are, then realize that that's what you've done, and don't try to make others feel sorry for you about it.
I'm not glorifying the private sector. Man, I've run the numbers on what we're going to be living on when we get out there, and compared to our somewhat privileged (mind you, all things are relative) financial situation now, it's not pretty at all. I'm doing everything I can to get us prepared for it, everything from stocking up the cupboard, to selling things on Craigslist and saving the money, to diversifying our investment portfolio. Thak is doing his part by going to school, getting the education he needs to be successful on the outside, and most importantly, networking with well-connected people within his field. We are both doing our part to get where we need to be, and we know that even with all our preparation, it's going to be a rough transition. That much is a given. Even so, it's still well worth it because our foremost priority is to be together, raise our kids together, and to live our life our way. The Army doesn't allow us to do any of those on an indefinite basis, so we have to go.
On the other side of the people who act like they have no choice, we have a second breed of idiots. These people are getting out, but they're doing absolutely nothing in the way of being realistic about it. If your sole income source was about to be gone inside of a year, would you buy a brand new Camaro with every upgrade imaginable? (FYI, this family already had two very dependable vehicles. The Camaro was an impulse buy.) Oh, and if your career aspirations outside of the Army are tattoo artist and bounty hunter, I feel sorry for you. Let me give you the phone number of a good Army recruiter, because you'll be back in uniform inside of two months.
It's in the balance. If the Army is THAT bad (and I agree! It is!) then you can walk away, but you also must realize that walking away is a lengthy process. Do you realize, me and Thak have been working at this for years, and we're still 8 months out? We planned for him to get out in 2006, but he brought such a financial mess from his first marriage, had no applicable civilian education, and no plan, so the smart choice was for him to reenlist one last time, get money squared away (or really, have me do that while he was deployed), get some marketable education, and develop a realistic plan. We're right about there now. He graduates school next summer, just weeks after his Army contract expires. That's the final phase of our plan. Do you realize it was basically a 5 year plan, though? Getting out of the Army is very hard, but if you really know it's not an acceptable lifestyle for you, then it's the right thing to do.
You have a choice. Stop acting like you don't, or like it's not a viable choice just because you have seen the idiots who don't plan it out at all, fail (haven't we all seen that?). I understand how frustrating it is when the end is not in sight, and you're eyeballs deep in the Army's worst. I've been there, too. We really didn't SEE the end of this thing until we were a year and a half out from it. We were always working toward it, though, and we never have given up on our goal of leaving the Army successfully, because we know it is the right decision. When the Army is not your ideal lifestyle, your choices are simple. You can either work toward getting out (and yes, you may need one reenlistment to really do that right), or you can somehow make it right with yourself that you are choosing to live this way because you are afraid of the private sector, and won't go get a better life for yourself and your family. For once, can we just call it what it is?
Now I dislike the Army life more than anyone else I know, but I don't get these people. I really think you lose a lot of validity when complaining about your husband being deployed for all your kids' major milestones if the guy was a wartime enlistee, enlisted after you were married and had a couple kids already, and keeps reenlisting time and time again. If you guys really valued him being around for the important stuff, he'd get out. Hell, he never would have enlisted in the first place. Since he does, and he did, I don't really buy that you guys value him being around for important things all that highly.
I'm tired of people acting like they don't have a choice when they do. Life outside the Army is harder because everything isn't handed to you, and nothing's guaranteed, but you won't have to put up with Uncle Sam's incessant bullshit. It's still a choice you can make. All things in life come with tradeoffs. In the Army, the tradeoffs are pretty serious. Are you willing to give every other year of your marriage and your kids' childhoods, and potentially your husband's life, for some health insurance and a discount on groceries? I'm not. If you are, then realize that that's what you've done, and don't try to make others feel sorry for you about it.
I'm not glorifying the private sector. Man, I've run the numbers on what we're going to be living on when we get out there, and compared to our somewhat privileged (mind you, all things are relative) financial situation now, it's not pretty at all. I'm doing everything I can to get us prepared for it, everything from stocking up the cupboard, to selling things on Craigslist and saving the money, to diversifying our investment portfolio. Thak is doing his part by going to school, getting the education he needs to be successful on the outside, and most importantly, networking with well-connected people within his field. We are both doing our part to get where we need to be, and we know that even with all our preparation, it's going to be a rough transition. That much is a given. Even so, it's still well worth it because our foremost priority is to be together, raise our kids together, and to live our life our way. The Army doesn't allow us to do any of those on an indefinite basis, so we have to go.
On the other side of the people who act like they have no choice, we have a second breed of idiots. These people are getting out, but they're doing absolutely nothing in the way of being realistic about it. If your sole income source was about to be gone inside of a year, would you buy a brand new Camaro with every upgrade imaginable? (FYI, this family already had two very dependable vehicles. The Camaro was an impulse buy.) Oh, and if your career aspirations outside of the Army are tattoo artist and bounty hunter, I feel sorry for you. Let me give you the phone number of a good Army recruiter, because you'll be back in uniform inside of two months.
It's in the balance. If the Army is THAT bad (and I agree! It is!) then you can walk away, but you also must realize that walking away is a lengthy process. Do you realize, me and Thak have been working at this for years, and we're still 8 months out? We planned for him to get out in 2006, but he brought such a financial mess from his first marriage, had no applicable civilian education, and no plan, so the smart choice was for him to reenlist one last time, get money squared away (or really, have me do that while he was deployed), get some marketable education, and develop a realistic plan. We're right about there now. He graduates school next summer, just weeks after his Army contract expires. That's the final phase of our plan. Do you realize it was basically a 5 year plan, though? Getting out of the Army is very hard, but if you really know it's not an acceptable lifestyle for you, then it's the right thing to do.
You have a choice. Stop acting like you don't, or like it's not a viable choice just because you have seen the idiots who don't plan it out at all, fail (haven't we all seen that?). I understand how frustrating it is when the end is not in sight, and you're eyeballs deep in the Army's worst. I've been there, too. We really didn't SEE the end of this thing until we were a year and a half out from it. We were always working toward it, though, and we never have given up on our goal of leaving the Army successfully, because we know it is the right decision. When the Army is not your ideal lifestyle, your choices are simple. You can either work toward getting out (and yes, you may need one reenlistment to really do that right), or you can somehow make it right with yourself that you are choosing to live this way because you are afraid of the private sector, and won't go get a better life for yourself and your family. For once, can we just call it what it is?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I'm doing Scenic Sunday!
OK, so there's this site called "I'm Doing El Paso". It's got listings of basically everything that's going on around town. There are like a million things to do at any given time in a city this big, of course, and whoever runs this site has their finger on the pulse of it for sure. They don't just talk about the various happy hours, or nighttime concerts, or film festivals. Those wouldn't interest me much since I couldn't really take the kids. They list everything, some of which is totally family-friendly, like Jazz at the Canyon, Shakespeare in the Park, the Downtown Projection Walk (during which people follow the images of famous artwork projected on the sides of buildings), and most recently, Scenic Sunday.
What is Scenic Sunday? It's when they close down Scenic Drive (the road that goes up the mountain and has the overlook of the city, Murchison Park and all that) to traffic, and open it up to pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters. It's every Sunday from 6-11 am in the spring and summer, and 7-noon in the fall and winter. It sounds great. I'm going next week. I didn't hear about it in time to go this week.
Now, here's my issue. I will be doing this by myself. There is no way Thak will make it up Scenic Drive with his knees the way they are. I also know that the kids will want to go, and that it would be fun for them. The issue is that I have one jogging stroller, and it's a single. There is no way Erin will be able to do this walk, and I'll end up having to leave early, totally pissed off from her whining, so she's going to have to ride at least part-time. Here are the options I can see so far.
1) Two kids, one seat. Put Orren on Erin's lap, put the stroller's lap belt over both of them, and go.
2) Erin in the stroller, Orren in the Kelty backpack.
3) Orren in the stroller, Erin walking (and whining).
4) Only take one kid, and make Thak watch the other.
Luckily, I have all week to figure it out.
What is Scenic Sunday? It's when they close down Scenic Drive (the road that goes up the mountain and has the overlook of the city, Murchison Park and all that) to traffic, and open it up to pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters. It's every Sunday from 6-11 am in the spring and summer, and 7-noon in the fall and winter. It sounds great. I'm going next week. I didn't hear about it in time to go this week.
Now, here's my issue. I will be doing this by myself. There is no way Thak will make it up Scenic Drive with his knees the way they are. I also know that the kids will want to go, and that it would be fun for them. The issue is that I have one jogging stroller, and it's a single. There is no way Erin will be able to do this walk, and I'll end up having to leave early, totally pissed off from her whining, so she's going to have to ride at least part-time. Here are the options I can see so far.
1) Two kids, one seat. Put Orren on Erin's lap, put the stroller's lap belt over both of them, and go.
2) Erin in the stroller, Orren in the Kelty backpack.
3) Orren in the stroller, Erin walking (and whining).
4) Only take one kid, and make Thak watch the other.
Luckily, I have all week to figure it out.
And you think I'M bad??
I generally do say something when I see someone misusing their carseat. It happens a lot. Conservative estimates are that 80% of carseats are misused, and that figure seems low to me. Everyone wants to keep their kids safe, but most aren't. Hell, most of them THINK they're keeping their kids safe, although I wonder how anyone could look at twisted straps, hanging loose, and a chest clip at belly button level, or a completely ill-fitting seat, and think that's safe. One way or another, 80% of the population doesn't know how to do it, which is where the enlightened 20% comes in. Knowledge is power, you know. (Although, I only comment about things I have actually seen, never assumptions.)
The thing is, though, this carseat knowledge thing is a double-edged sword. People who are good at carseats are so used to everyone else sucking at them, that many automatically assume everyone else is an idiot when it comes to this stuff, even if they're not. I had a lady message me today to let me know that the two boosters we liked for Erin don't rear-face, and tell me that kids should rear-face as long as possible. No joke. I wrote her back, as nicely as I possibly could, and said that I know that they don't rear-face because they're boosters, which is a totally appropriate type of seat for my 46 pound, 4' tall, first grader, who definitely would exceed the rear-facing limits of any seat on the US market (because I tried her in our Radian a few months ago, while parked, just for kicks. Yeah, that was entertaining for all involved.) I told her that my toddler is still rear-facing, and will be for a long time to come, but that his big sister is definitely fine in a booster.
I swear, it's gotten crazy when you can't even ask questions about the specs of something on a manufacturer's discussion board, without being bombarded by people who assume you're doing it wrong. I thought I mentioned her age and size in the post, but I guess I must not have. I guess I know for next time I need to ask questions about the design specs of something. I'll preface my post with, "MY KID IS 7 YEARS OLD AND FINE IN A BOOSTER!!!" OK, maybe not, but it's tempting.
I think it's important to comment on blatant misuse, like if you physically see it, or if someone you know puts a picture on Flickr of their kid in a horribly outgrown seat or something, or if someone mentions to you that they're booster shopping for their 2-year-old. It's taking things a step too far to automatically assume that everyone but you must be doing it wrong. I find that this is the most common when you're booster shopping. Not as many people assume you're going to use a convertible seat wrong (although most of the misuse does involve convertible seats), but everyone assumes that if you're looking for a booster, it's got to be for a kid who's way too young for it and should still be rear-facing. It couldn't possibly be for a kid who's school-age, and the perfect age and size to use it. No way. All people are idiots, especially those who ask tough questions of the engineers on a manufacturer's inquiry board.
The irony? I saw a picture of this lady's kid in the carseat. The chest clip was at throat level. Too high is just as bad as too low. I didn't say anything.
The thing is, though, this carseat knowledge thing is a double-edged sword. People who are good at carseats are so used to everyone else sucking at them, that many automatically assume everyone else is an idiot when it comes to this stuff, even if they're not. I had a lady message me today to let me know that the two boosters we liked for Erin don't rear-face, and tell me that kids should rear-face as long as possible. No joke. I wrote her back, as nicely as I possibly could, and said that I know that they don't rear-face because they're boosters, which is a totally appropriate type of seat for my 46 pound, 4' tall, first grader, who definitely would exceed the rear-facing limits of any seat on the US market (because I tried her in our Radian a few months ago, while parked, just for kicks. Yeah, that was entertaining for all involved.) I told her that my toddler is still rear-facing, and will be for a long time to come, but that his big sister is definitely fine in a booster.
I swear, it's gotten crazy when you can't even ask questions about the specs of something on a manufacturer's discussion board, without being bombarded by people who assume you're doing it wrong. I thought I mentioned her age and size in the post, but I guess I must not have. I guess I know for next time I need to ask questions about the design specs of something. I'll preface my post with, "MY KID IS 7 YEARS OLD AND FINE IN A BOOSTER!!!" OK, maybe not, but it's tempting.
I think it's important to comment on blatant misuse, like if you physically see it, or if someone you know puts a picture on Flickr of their kid in a horribly outgrown seat or something, or if someone mentions to you that they're booster shopping for their 2-year-old. It's taking things a step too far to automatically assume that everyone but you must be doing it wrong. I find that this is the most common when you're booster shopping. Not as many people assume you're going to use a convertible seat wrong (although most of the misuse does involve convertible seats), but everyone assumes that if you're looking for a booster, it's got to be for a kid who's way too young for it and should still be rear-facing. It couldn't possibly be for a kid who's school-age, and the perfect age and size to use it. No way. All people are idiots, especially those who ask tough questions of the engineers on a manufacturer's inquiry board.
The irony? I saw a picture of this lady's kid in the carseat. The chest clip was at throat level. Too high is just as bad as too low. I didn't say anything.
Friday, August 20, 2010
It's not in the choice, it's in the consciousness.
Last night, something occurred to me, and I posed this question, "Thak, do you ever think life would be easier in some ways if we were mainstream parents?" He thought about it for a minute, and said, "Yes, but then we'd be doing it wrong." God, I love him.
We got to talking about it, and I was reminded of a conversation I had earlier that day with a longtime friend of ours, and fellow alternative parent. He said that he's glad that Thak and I raise awareness of the things we do which are currently considered to be alternative, because it makes people reflect on why they make the choices they make. I thought that was interesting, and it lead me to the crux of the issue I've been grappling with for the past year or so.
A lot of people say it's wrong to not want to hang out with people whose parenting practices and philosophy differs drastically from your own. I don't think it is. The big things on my mind right now consist of a certain cloth diapering issue, doing more research on home birth, and doing a lot of research on breastfeeding so that I can get over my mental block with it and successfully exclusively breastfeed my next baby. I'm pretty sure the forumla-from-birth, disposable diapering, hospital birthing masses would not understand anything that I'm dealing with at this point. I often hear from people like that, that I think too much.
THAT, my friends, is the crux of the issue. No, I don't think too much. There is no such thing as thinking too much. I've always kind of lived in my head, and I like it here. The issue is that the mainstream parents think too little. There is no consciousness to their choices. Over the past year, I thought maybe I could respect their choices a bit more if I understood their reasoning for them, so I've asked a lot of them, openly and honestly (NOT condescendingly) why they do what they do. The answers didn't make me think better of anybody. In fact, they made me think even worse of them. Their reasoning came down to myths, hearsay, and not questioning anything. They more or less followed what they thought was "normal", never once questioning whether "normal" was even right.
This lead me to the conclusion that it's not the choices someone makes which dictate whether I can respect them or not. It's the consciousness behind those choices. It seems to me that the mainstream ones are walking blindly. That's why I can't deal with that. It's not because I only like people who do things my way. It's because I only like people who think. I've yet to find a parent who could give me a solid (read: scientific, mathematical, or statistical) reason for the things they do which are mainstream, yet proven to be subpar or even harmful.
It's not the choice. It's the consciousness. In Thak's words, yeah, life would be easier if we were mainstream, but then we'd be doing it wrong.
We are full of consciousness, and empty of regret.
We got to talking about it, and I was reminded of a conversation I had earlier that day with a longtime friend of ours, and fellow alternative parent. He said that he's glad that Thak and I raise awareness of the things we do which are currently considered to be alternative, because it makes people reflect on why they make the choices they make. I thought that was interesting, and it lead me to the crux of the issue I've been grappling with for the past year or so.
A lot of people say it's wrong to not want to hang out with people whose parenting practices and philosophy differs drastically from your own. I don't think it is. The big things on my mind right now consist of a certain cloth diapering issue, doing more research on home birth, and doing a lot of research on breastfeeding so that I can get over my mental block with it and successfully exclusively breastfeed my next baby. I'm pretty sure the forumla-from-birth, disposable diapering, hospital birthing masses would not understand anything that I'm dealing with at this point. I often hear from people like that, that I think too much.
THAT, my friends, is the crux of the issue. No, I don't think too much. There is no such thing as thinking too much. I've always kind of lived in my head, and I like it here. The issue is that the mainstream parents think too little. There is no consciousness to their choices. Over the past year, I thought maybe I could respect their choices a bit more if I understood their reasoning for them, so I've asked a lot of them, openly and honestly (NOT condescendingly) why they do what they do. The answers didn't make me think better of anybody. In fact, they made me think even worse of them. Their reasoning came down to myths, hearsay, and not questioning anything. They more or less followed what they thought was "normal", never once questioning whether "normal" was even right.
This lead me to the conclusion that it's not the choices someone makes which dictate whether I can respect them or not. It's the consciousness behind those choices. It seems to me that the mainstream ones are walking blindly. That's why I can't deal with that. It's not because I only like people who do things my way. It's because I only like people who think. I've yet to find a parent who could give me a solid (read: scientific, mathematical, or statistical) reason for the things they do which are mainstream, yet proven to be subpar or even harmful.
It's not the choice. It's the consciousness. In Thak's words, yeah, life would be easier if we were mainstream, but then we'd be doing it wrong.
We are full of consciousness, and empty of regret.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
New information from the school.
We got a huge packet of stuff from Erin's school today. It's mostly pretty standard stuff, but also kind of insane.
For one, we were required to fill out the school lunch form. That was weird because we'd never done it before since the schools she's attended in the past showed what the income guidelines were for free and reduced price lunch, and we didn't qualify. Under the circumstances, filling out the forms would have been a waste of time, so this was our first time to fill out a school lunch form. I'm sure we'll be denied unless the guidelines changed a lot between now and then.
Otherwise, holy crap, school lunches are expensive! $3.20 each! Year before last, it was like $1.50 or something like that. It's good that this school's food program sounds absolutely disgusting, because out of the entire month, Erin only wanted 3 of the lunches, so we'll pay just under $10 for her to eat school lunch 3 times. Fun.
The other thing that's really weird about the way they do lunch here is that we get a calendar at the beginning of each month that has all the lunches written down on their respective days. Then we cross off the days we don't want, and return the calendar, with payment for the days we do want. Then we magically remember which days we chose. That's going to get interesting. Oh, and if she's not going to be at school on a day when she had signed up to eat school lunch, we have to call and cancel her lunch for that day. It's insane.
On the positive side, Erin has decided to take violin lessons through the school. They offer them for $150 a semester, which is a good price. I just hope it doesn't interfere with cheerleading, which she's also wanting to do for football season. This, of course, makes ballet lessons kind of iffy, although I'm still considering it. She really wants to do all three, and I hate to say no, but man, this stuff adds up. Time is the obvious way it does so, but it's also not all that cheap when you figure in everything. We're already well over $200 for one semester with just cheer and violin, and that's before equipment. Adding that to the "donations" we're "strongly encouraged" to make to the school, and the beginning of the year is a bit steep. (Oh, and the uniforms we got her in a size 6/6x fit for now, but I think she's going to outgrow them before the year is out. That's another easy $100 right there. I miss the GOOD children's consignment back in Savannah.) I'm still considering the dance thing, though, because it actually does help with cheer, and I hate making her choose between things she knows she likes (cheer and dance) or denying her the chance to try something else that she may like (violin). Plus, there's a dance studio not even two blocks from our house. I wonder what they charge. I'm still really undecided on the third activity.
Otherwise, I'm glad to know when we have open house at the school. It's on September 2nd in the afternoon. I think we'll find out who Erin's teacher is then, and also turn in all her forms, in addition to learning all the many procedures for drop-off, pick-up, and all that other stuff. It shouldn't be too bad. There are only about 150 kids in the whole school, and that's if all the classes are full, which I'm pretty sure they're not, since there are now radio advertisements for the school, so we may be looking at 100 or fewer students in the entire school for starters. That would be very nice. It'll surely make drop-off and pick-up far less of a zoo than it is at the public schools, which is good since the driveway of the school is about the size of my front yard... so, pretty small.
I think we're all ready to get this thing started. It's kind of to the point where I'm REALLY ready for Erin to go back to school. I know she's ready. She woke up this morning and got dressed in her uniform. LOL I let her wear it as long as she promised not to get it dirty. She did great. All of this area's school districts are already back to school, or will be within the next few days, and we've still got weeks to go. On the positive side, I just ordered Erin's PlanetBox, and hopefully, it will be here before school starts. $70 for a lunchbox (including $10 shipping), was steep, but it will save money in the long run. She will use it for years, and packing lunches is WAY cheaper than paying $3.20 a day for school lunch (hell, the thing will pay for itself inside of two months by that measure!). Plus, she's excited about her new lunchbox. She chose the purple carry bag, and two sets of magnets, Under the Sea, and Rainbow.
For one, we were required to fill out the school lunch form. That was weird because we'd never done it before since the schools she's attended in the past showed what the income guidelines were for free and reduced price lunch, and we didn't qualify. Under the circumstances, filling out the forms would have been a waste of time, so this was our first time to fill out a school lunch form. I'm sure we'll be denied unless the guidelines changed a lot between now and then.
Otherwise, holy crap, school lunches are expensive! $3.20 each! Year before last, it was like $1.50 or something like that. It's good that this school's food program sounds absolutely disgusting, because out of the entire month, Erin only wanted 3 of the lunches, so we'll pay just under $10 for her to eat school lunch 3 times. Fun.
The other thing that's really weird about the way they do lunch here is that we get a calendar at the beginning of each month that has all the lunches written down on their respective days. Then we cross off the days we don't want, and return the calendar, with payment for the days we do want. Then we magically remember which days we chose. That's going to get interesting. Oh, and if she's not going to be at school on a day when she had signed up to eat school lunch, we have to call and cancel her lunch for that day. It's insane.
On the positive side, Erin has decided to take violin lessons through the school. They offer them for $150 a semester, which is a good price. I just hope it doesn't interfere with cheerleading, which she's also wanting to do for football season. This, of course, makes ballet lessons kind of iffy, although I'm still considering it. She really wants to do all three, and I hate to say no, but man, this stuff adds up. Time is the obvious way it does so, but it's also not all that cheap when you figure in everything. We're already well over $200 for one semester with just cheer and violin, and that's before equipment. Adding that to the "donations" we're "strongly encouraged" to make to the school, and the beginning of the year is a bit steep. (Oh, and the uniforms we got her in a size 6/6x fit for now, but I think she's going to outgrow them before the year is out. That's another easy $100 right there. I miss the GOOD children's consignment back in Savannah.) I'm still considering the dance thing, though, because it actually does help with cheer, and I hate making her choose between things she knows she likes (cheer and dance) or denying her the chance to try something else that she may like (violin). Plus, there's a dance studio not even two blocks from our house. I wonder what they charge. I'm still really undecided on the third activity.
Otherwise, I'm glad to know when we have open house at the school. It's on September 2nd in the afternoon. I think we'll find out who Erin's teacher is then, and also turn in all her forms, in addition to learning all the many procedures for drop-off, pick-up, and all that other stuff. It shouldn't be too bad. There are only about 150 kids in the whole school, and that's if all the classes are full, which I'm pretty sure they're not, since there are now radio advertisements for the school, so we may be looking at 100 or fewer students in the entire school for starters. That would be very nice. It'll surely make drop-off and pick-up far less of a zoo than it is at the public schools, which is good since the driveway of the school is about the size of my front yard... so, pretty small.
I think we're all ready to get this thing started. It's kind of to the point where I'm REALLY ready for Erin to go back to school. I know she's ready. She woke up this morning and got dressed in her uniform. LOL I let her wear it as long as she promised not to get it dirty. She did great. All of this area's school districts are already back to school, or will be within the next few days, and we've still got weeks to go. On the positive side, I just ordered Erin's PlanetBox, and hopefully, it will be here before school starts. $70 for a lunchbox (including $10 shipping), was steep, but it will save money in the long run. She will use it for years, and packing lunches is WAY cheaper than paying $3.20 a day for school lunch (hell, the thing will pay for itself inside of two months by that measure!). Plus, she's excited about her new lunchbox. She chose the purple carry bag, and two sets of magnets, Under the Sea, and Rainbow.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
It's not expensive being green!
Often, I hear people use the excuse that they can't do environmentally friendly things because they can't afford to. A great article on the 7th Generation blog today brought this issue to light, and I thought that was great. People need to know that going green is not expensive at all, and is actually far cheaper than the planet-wrecking alternative.
The fact is, there are a million small changes that anybody can make that make a positive difference. Most of these cost little to nothing, and even save hundreds of dollars in the longterm.
Replacing paper products with cloth as much as you can will save thousands of pounds of waste from going into the landfills, AND save hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars over the course of your lifetime. I always talk about cloth diapering, and yes, it is a big one! There are others, too, though. I recently replaced all our paper towel consumption with birdseye cotton flat diapers. This cost $10 up front (as much as about two months' worth of paper towels), and we'll be able to use them for years. A lot of families use cloth napkins, too. We just use the same birdseye cotton flats for napkins as we use for paper towels, because we're redneck like that. These are very easy changes to make. The cool thing is that the cloth works better than the paper anyhow. I keep a small laundry basket in the kitchen for the used flats, and then I wash them with either towels or diapers, a couple times a week. It adds absolutely no extra loads to the laundry we're already doing, since the flats are so compact and easily go in with what we already have.
Washing is another way people can save money and be green. If you use cold water to wash your clothes (yes, even cloth diapers can effectively be washed on cold! I learned that recently!) you have saved money on the electricity or gas you would have spent to heat the water, AND you have conserved that energy. If you use a clothesline instead of a dryer, you are saving the money it would take to run your dryer, and conserving that energy.
Cleaning products are another one that people often get confused about. Yes, green cleaning products are more expensive than their toxic counterparts, but a lot of times, you don't even have to buy anything. We recently went to a vinegar and water blend for surface spray cleaner, and it's really been great. Vinegar also works better than anything I've ever tried when it comes to cleaning the microwave (put a bowl of vinegar and water in there, microwave it on high for 10 minutes to evaporate some of it, then wipe clean. It's that easy!) Worst case scenario, your hands smell like pickles for a little while after you're done, but that's not a big deal when you consider that a gallon of white vinegar costs about $2 (that's less than a single spray bottle of 409 or Windex), and will probably last a year, AND you are avoiding putting harsh chemicals out into your home environment. It's green AND frugal.
A lot of people also forget that buying used is green. If you want something, try to find it on Craigslist first. When I lived in the Savannah area, that was a really great resource. I saved so much money buying on Craigslist, and conserved resources by not buying new goods that other new goods would be manufactured to replace on the store shelves. In this city, our Craigslist is horrible, but people in relatively well-off areas can have great success with this. Children's consignment stores are another thing a lot of people can do well with. I also did great with this when I lived in the Savannah area. Here, we have one children's consignment, it's the size of my bathroom, and sells mostly stuff I'd never put my kids in, so buying used here is very hard. That's not the case in most areas, so take advantage if you can, because it is green and very frugal.
The cool thing about it is that if you save money on all this other stuff, it frees up money to buy things like organic foods, whatever natural cleaners you may need (I love 7th Generation's bathroom cleaner.), and even luxury goods which are generally manufactured under better conditions (by well paid American workers, for example). People always question my luxury baby gear obsession, but then I explain to them that all our gear combined didn't cost as much as we would have spent on disposable diapers, AND all this stuff holds its resale value very nicely (Orren's Stokke high chair, for example, we paid $350 for. I've seen them go on ebay for $280 all the time, used.) which can't be said of disposable diapers. We freed up the money to buy better stuff which will continue on to other families rather than go to the landfill when we're done with it, by being green and frugal.
My grocery bill is lower than most of my friends' grocery bills. Yesterday, for dinner, we ate organic lamb, in a gravy based in locally grown onions and spices mostly grown just across the state line, over organic California rice, garnished with locally grown almonds and organic lemon slices. We can afford that because we're not blowing money on paper products, tons of cleaners, and other use-once-and-throw-away goods.
Green IS frugal. We can all do this.
The fact is, there are a million small changes that anybody can make that make a positive difference. Most of these cost little to nothing, and even save hundreds of dollars in the longterm.
Replacing paper products with cloth as much as you can will save thousands of pounds of waste from going into the landfills, AND save hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars over the course of your lifetime. I always talk about cloth diapering, and yes, it is a big one! There are others, too, though. I recently replaced all our paper towel consumption with birdseye cotton flat diapers. This cost $10 up front (as much as about two months' worth of paper towels), and we'll be able to use them for years. A lot of families use cloth napkins, too. We just use the same birdseye cotton flats for napkins as we use for paper towels, because we're redneck like that. These are very easy changes to make. The cool thing is that the cloth works better than the paper anyhow. I keep a small laundry basket in the kitchen for the used flats, and then I wash them with either towels or diapers, a couple times a week. It adds absolutely no extra loads to the laundry we're already doing, since the flats are so compact and easily go in with what we already have.
Washing is another way people can save money and be green. If you use cold water to wash your clothes (yes, even cloth diapers can effectively be washed on cold! I learned that recently!) you have saved money on the electricity or gas you would have spent to heat the water, AND you have conserved that energy. If you use a clothesline instead of a dryer, you are saving the money it would take to run your dryer, and conserving that energy.
Cleaning products are another one that people often get confused about. Yes, green cleaning products are more expensive than their toxic counterparts, but a lot of times, you don't even have to buy anything. We recently went to a vinegar and water blend for surface spray cleaner, and it's really been great. Vinegar also works better than anything I've ever tried when it comes to cleaning the microwave (put a bowl of vinegar and water in there, microwave it on high for 10 minutes to evaporate some of it, then wipe clean. It's that easy!) Worst case scenario, your hands smell like pickles for a little while after you're done, but that's not a big deal when you consider that a gallon of white vinegar costs about $2 (that's less than a single spray bottle of 409 or Windex), and will probably last a year, AND you are avoiding putting harsh chemicals out into your home environment. It's green AND frugal.
A lot of people also forget that buying used is green. If you want something, try to find it on Craigslist first. When I lived in the Savannah area, that was a really great resource. I saved so much money buying on Craigslist, and conserved resources by not buying new goods that other new goods would be manufactured to replace on the store shelves. In this city, our Craigslist is horrible, but people in relatively well-off areas can have great success with this. Children's consignment stores are another thing a lot of people can do well with. I also did great with this when I lived in the Savannah area. Here, we have one children's consignment, it's the size of my bathroom, and sells mostly stuff I'd never put my kids in, so buying used here is very hard. That's not the case in most areas, so take advantage if you can, because it is green and very frugal.
The cool thing about it is that if you save money on all this other stuff, it frees up money to buy things like organic foods, whatever natural cleaners you may need (I love 7th Generation's bathroom cleaner.), and even luxury goods which are generally manufactured under better conditions (by well paid American workers, for example). People always question my luxury baby gear obsession, but then I explain to them that all our gear combined didn't cost as much as we would have spent on disposable diapers, AND all this stuff holds its resale value very nicely (Orren's Stokke high chair, for example, we paid $350 for. I've seen them go on ebay for $280 all the time, used.) which can't be said of disposable diapers. We freed up the money to buy better stuff which will continue on to other families rather than go to the landfill when we're done with it, by being green and frugal.
My grocery bill is lower than most of my friends' grocery bills. Yesterday, for dinner, we ate organic lamb, in a gravy based in locally grown onions and spices mostly grown just across the state line, over organic California rice, garnished with locally grown almonds and organic lemon slices. We can afford that because we're not blowing money on paper products, tons of cleaners, and other use-once-and-throw-away goods.
Green IS frugal. We can all do this.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Going exclusively to online college is the problem.
In thinking of the recent controversy about the mosque in NYC that's somewhat near the location of the former World Trade Center, it occurs to me that I generally find most of the people who are being so closed-minded about it, and trying to oppose the constitutional rights of others based on a feeling, are the same people who are generally doing stupid things. Their queen is the one who thinks "dethaw" is a word (yet at the same time, thinks she's an author.) I also find something else common among these people. None of them went to college. OK, so they've all done some online coursework, but the more I think about it, the more I really believe that exclusively online college, with absolutely no on-campus attendance ever, doesn't count. Sure, you'll read some textbooks, take some tests, and on a good day, maybe retain some of the information, but that's really not the college experience, is it?
Sure, I learned a lot in college. I had no idea I was great at physics until I fell in love with it at the university level. I relished relativity, suffered through circuits, and took whole courses in what most of the world would consider minutiae. I learned the theory of engineering design from the engineer who revolutionized the offshore oil drilling industry. I learned Calculus from a 29-year-old genius who was covered in tattoos and piercings from head to toe, and is by far the most brilliant mathematician I have ever met. I learned Differential Equations and Complex Analysis, from your stereotypical batty old math professor, who drove us crazy with his expectations, but in such a way that we all remember him fondly. A recent Irish immigrant with a major case of ADHD taught me how to program computers. I learned the history of the state of Georgia, and went to lectures given by historians around town because I was required to do so. I took film appreciation from one of Francis Ford Coppola's college classmates.
Even more importantly than any of that, was the motley band of misfits who were there with me every step of the way. They came from all over the world, were of every race, religion, political leaning, and background. They taught me the most. A totally important part of going to college, is being around many other people in a setting that encourages everybody to kind of learn about each other. I mean, when you're thrown into study groups to spend hours and hours together, trying to succeed in the #4 engineering school in the nation (the rankings came out just today. We're still #4, although Cal Tech tied us for it this year.) you learn about each other. You learn that things aren't always what they seem, that everybody's just as weird as you are, just in different ways, and that when you look beyond external factors, like who dresses how, who's got what accent, and who prays to what, we're really all pretty similar to one another.
This is totally lost in this generation of people who have never set foot in a lecture hall. I can see doing parts of your coursework online if you have to for some reason, or to do grad school online after doing undergrad on campus, but to just do absolutely nothing but online coursework, I believe, does a great disservice to a person because it lacks, in my opinion, more than half of what the college experience is. The very experiences I call on in my day-to-day life, are the ones that the online-only types lack, and frankly, it shows. I don't think one can truly claim to be an educated person if they have not gone to college on campus, because they're missing out on some of the most valuable parts of it. They seem to regard these things as unnecessary, or maybe "nice to have", but having gone to college on campus myself, I know that the life lessons, the experience of meeting so many different people, and the random interactions you have with so many people from so many different backgrounds, are actually invaluable. When people miss out on that, it really shows.
Sure, I learned a lot in college. I had no idea I was great at physics until I fell in love with it at the university level. I relished relativity, suffered through circuits, and took whole courses in what most of the world would consider minutiae. I learned the theory of engineering design from the engineer who revolutionized the offshore oil drilling industry. I learned Calculus from a 29-year-old genius who was covered in tattoos and piercings from head to toe, and is by far the most brilliant mathematician I have ever met. I learned Differential Equations and Complex Analysis, from your stereotypical batty old math professor, who drove us crazy with his expectations, but in such a way that we all remember him fondly. A recent Irish immigrant with a major case of ADHD taught me how to program computers. I learned the history of the state of Georgia, and went to lectures given by historians around town because I was required to do so. I took film appreciation from one of Francis Ford Coppola's college classmates.
Even more importantly than any of that, was the motley band of misfits who were there with me every step of the way. They came from all over the world, were of every race, religion, political leaning, and background. They taught me the most. A totally important part of going to college, is being around many other people in a setting that encourages everybody to kind of learn about each other. I mean, when you're thrown into study groups to spend hours and hours together, trying to succeed in the #4 engineering school in the nation (the rankings came out just today. We're still #4, although Cal Tech tied us for it this year.) you learn about each other. You learn that things aren't always what they seem, that everybody's just as weird as you are, just in different ways, and that when you look beyond external factors, like who dresses how, who's got what accent, and who prays to what, we're really all pretty similar to one another.
This is totally lost in this generation of people who have never set foot in a lecture hall. I can see doing parts of your coursework online if you have to for some reason, or to do grad school online after doing undergrad on campus, but to just do absolutely nothing but online coursework, I believe, does a great disservice to a person because it lacks, in my opinion, more than half of what the college experience is. The very experiences I call on in my day-to-day life, are the ones that the online-only types lack, and frankly, it shows. I don't think one can truly claim to be an educated person if they have not gone to college on campus, because they're missing out on some of the most valuable parts of it. They seem to regard these things as unnecessary, or maybe "nice to have", but having gone to college on campus myself, I know that the life lessons, the experience of meeting so many different people, and the random interactions you have with so many people from so many different backgrounds, are actually invaluable. When people miss out on that, it really shows.
Monday, August 16, 2010
You want to put that WHERE??
I'm disappointed in fellow Americans. Then again, when am I not? Our nation has gotten stupid. When did that happen? OK, anyhow, the thing that's on my mind right now is this mosque near the site of the World Trade Center 9/11 attacks, debate. I can't believe how people are reacting to it.
First of all, let's get it perfectly straight that there's no way this controversy would be happening if someone proposed to build a Buddhist temple, a church of any Christian faith, or a Synagogue of any Jewish denomination. Let's get it right out in the open that the only reason people are up in arms about this is because it's a facility of the Muslim faith that's been proposed.
While we're at it, let's get a few things out in the open about the way our country is, even today. It's not a good place to be Muslim. I'm not Muslim myself. In fact, I'm pretty much non-religious. I have friends of all faiths, though, including Muslim, and I have personally witnessed the type of harassment they endure on a daily basis just because of what a few extremist pieces of crap decided to go and do. Have any of you people ever read the Quran? I have. Islam is not a violent religion. You might be surprised how similar a lot of the principals are to Christianity and Judaism. All that is to say, anyone who is thinks they "learned all they needed to know about Islam on 9/11" (Yes, I saw that on a bumper sticker in Georgia. I was floored.) needs to think long and hard about how they, probably Christian since most Americans are, would like to be judged 24/7 by the actions of David Koresh, or if they're just a non-religious white person, maybe they would find it more palatable to think how they would feel if society judged them by the actions of Timothy McVeigh. That sounds ridiculous? Yeah, because it is. Even so, that's EXACTLY what Average America is doing to our own Muslim citizens every single day. That's not cool, and it's not the type of thing this country was founded on. Where's all that freedom of religion when it counts? The Puritans fled England for the New World because they were being persecuted, yet that's exactly what's been happening to Muslims in this country for the past 9 years.
Of course, all of the above relates to why it's total BS that people are getting all worked up about a mosque being built near the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Here's another, very secular, reason for you. It's a slippery slope. I've heard people saying, "Well, 600 feet away is practically right on top of it!" First of all, no it's not. Secondly, ok, let's go with this little train of thought for a minute, and see where it leads. Let's say it's determined that 600 feet is too close for a religious facility to be built. Let's say the powers that be, decide that 1000 feet away is more appropriate. In light of this, they sell the tract of land that the mosque is supposed to be built on, it becomes a Barnes and Noble book store, a Wal Mart, or something like that, and everyone's happy. Then they buy a new tract of land for the mosque. This tract of land is 1003 feet from the site of the former World Trade Center. Every land surveyor in the state substantiates that. You know what the people will say? "They're building it as close as they can to the World Trade Center site just to spite us!!!!" Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? This thing WILL become the quintessential slippery slope if Average America gets their way on this one.
To add my own two cents to it, I've been to Ground Zero. I have stood on the viewing platform in my Army uniform, and had the people of New York treat me as one of their own because I was serving for them. I think if people want to make the site of the former World Trade Center a monument for the rest of our days, and never use that space for anything else again, that is perfectly fine. However, the space around it is usable, and it's all zoned commercial. (Have you ever BEEN there?? It's in a very busy area!!) The way we let the terrorists win is by shying away from the thought of moving on, of rebuilding (even if not directly on that site), of certain things being near it. It happened. We'll never forget. Now we need to move on. We won't ever move on if we discriminate against entire religious groups based on what 19 assholes did nearly a decade ago.
I'm disappointed in you, fellow Americans. I thought we were better than this.
First of all, let's get it perfectly straight that there's no way this controversy would be happening if someone proposed to build a Buddhist temple, a church of any Christian faith, or a Synagogue of any Jewish denomination. Let's get it right out in the open that the only reason people are up in arms about this is because it's a facility of the Muslim faith that's been proposed.
While we're at it, let's get a few things out in the open about the way our country is, even today. It's not a good place to be Muslim. I'm not Muslim myself. In fact, I'm pretty much non-religious. I have friends of all faiths, though, including Muslim, and I have personally witnessed the type of harassment they endure on a daily basis just because of what a few extremist pieces of crap decided to go and do. Have any of you people ever read the Quran? I have. Islam is not a violent religion. You might be surprised how similar a lot of the principals are to Christianity and Judaism. All that is to say, anyone who is thinks they "learned all they needed to know about Islam on 9/11" (Yes, I saw that on a bumper sticker in Georgia. I was floored.) needs to think long and hard about how they, probably Christian since most Americans are, would like to be judged 24/7 by the actions of David Koresh, or if they're just a non-religious white person, maybe they would find it more palatable to think how they would feel if society judged them by the actions of Timothy McVeigh. That sounds ridiculous? Yeah, because it is. Even so, that's EXACTLY what Average America is doing to our own Muslim citizens every single day. That's not cool, and it's not the type of thing this country was founded on. Where's all that freedom of religion when it counts? The Puritans fled England for the New World because they were being persecuted, yet that's exactly what's been happening to Muslims in this country for the past 9 years.
Of course, all of the above relates to why it's total BS that people are getting all worked up about a mosque being built near the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Here's another, very secular, reason for you. It's a slippery slope. I've heard people saying, "Well, 600 feet away is practically right on top of it!" First of all, no it's not. Secondly, ok, let's go with this little train of thought for a minute, and see where it leads. Let's say it's determined that 600 feet is too close for a religious facility to be built. Let's say the powers that be, decide that 1000 feet away is more appropriate. In light of this, they sell the tract of land that the mosque is supposed to be built on, it becomes a Barnes and Noble book store, a Wal Mart, or something like that, and everyone's happy. Then they buy a new tract of land for the mosque. This tract of land is 1003 feet from the site of the former World Trade Center. Every land surveyor in the state substantiates that. You know what the people will say? "They're building it as close as they can to the World Trade Center site just to spite us!!!!" Sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it? This thing WILL become the quintessential slippery slope if Average America gets their way on this one.
To add my own two cents to it, I've been to Ground Zero. I have stood on the viewing platform in my Army uniform, and had the people of New York treat me as one of their own because I was serving for them. I think if people want to make the site of the former World Trade Center a monument for the rest of our days, and never use that space for anything else again, that is perfectly fine. However, the space around it is usable, and it's all zoned commercial. (Have you ever BEEN there?? It's in a very busy area!!) The way we let the terrorists win is by shying away from the thought of moving on, of rebuilding (even if not directly on that site), of certain things being near it. It happened. We'll never forget. Now we need to move on. We won't ever move on if we discriminate against entire religious groups based on what 19 assholes did nearly a decade ago.
I'm disappointed in you, fellow Americans. I thought we were better than this.
You get what you pay for.
This list is amazing. I learned of it through Sunshine Kids, the company that makes Radian and Monterey carseats, the kind Erin and Orren ride in most of the time. Theirs consistently had the lowest toxicity of any brand on the market, some models had a barely detectable level, some models absolutely none detectable. They said it is always a priority to make their seats as non-toxic as possible. I believe it. You don't get your toxicity levels that low on something made primarily of plastic, without making an effort to that end.
It was kind of sad to go through that list, though. I saw all my friends' kids' seats, and they were all so unbelievably toxic, some of the worst ratings there were. I guess that's what happens when a company tries to shove ten pounds of features into a five pound sack, and sell it at bargain prices. It ends up being made of nuclear waste. OK, no seat is really made of nuclear waste, but they are made of some pretty noxious stuff that no thinking parent should ever want their kids anywhere near. Furthermore, with asthma becoming so much more common every year, it's kind of important to avoid breathable toxins in particular, especially for babies. I wonder if this type of thing is partially to blame for the rise in asthma, actually. I mean, 30 years ago, few people even used carseats, and when they did, they didn't use them for long, and basically nobody had asthma. Now, everyone uses carseats, and they're required by law to use them for 6-8 years (depending on state), and now every other kid you see has asthma. It seems just a little TOO coincidental to me.
I'm glad we primarily use Sunshine Kids seats, and after seeing that list, I can safely say, I will NEVER own another Britax (just as toxic as the cheap ones, but the price of the good ones!) I also feel far more justified in the feeling I had toward cheap carseats all along. I'm so glad I never caved to peer pressure, and cheaped out on my kids when it counted. I didn't even know at the time that by doing that, I'd be exposing them to so many harsh toxins, but I'm glad to know we don't have to worry about that with our set-up.
It was kind of sad to go through that list, though. I saw all my friends' kids' seats, and they were all so unbelievably toxic, some of the worst ratings there were. I guess that's what happens when a company tries to shove ten pounds of features into a five pound sack, and sell it at bargain prices. It ends up being made of nuclear waste. OK, no seat is really made of nuclear waste, but they are made of some pretty noxious stuff that no thinking parent should ever want their kids anywhere near. Furthermore, with asthma becoming so much more common every year, it's kind of important to avoid breathable toxins in particular, especially for babies. I wonder if this type of thing is partially to blame for the rise in asthma, actually. I mean, 30 years ago, few people even used carseats, and when they did, they didn't use them for long, and basically nobody had asthma. Now, everyone uses carseats, and they're required by law to use them for 6-8 years (depending on state), and now every other kid you see has asthma. It seems just a little TOO coincidental to me.
I'm glad we primarily use Sunshine Kids seats, and after seeing that list, I can safely say, I will NEVER own another Britax (just as toxic as the cheap ones, but the price of the good ones!) I also feel far more justified in the feeling I had toward cheap carseats all along. I'm so glad I never caved to peer pressure, and cheaped out on my kids when it counted. I didn't even know at the time that by doing that, I'd be exposing them to so many harsh toxins, but I'm glad to know we don't have to worry about that with our set-up.
As promised
While we're on the subject of adorable pictures, here is Erin, missing one of her top front teeth! She is such a big kid.
Adorable picture for Monday
Sooo.... how about an adorable picture to start the week right? This is Orren in his brand new cover from Gen-Y Cloth Diapers and Accessories, and the print is called Sushi Toss. It's perfect for him because he LOVES sushi!! Oh, and what could be more perfect than a little boy playing in the dirt? Absolutely nothing, that's what!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday the 13th, my ass!
This is the first time we've had a Friday the 13th that Thak hasn't been deployed for. Strangely, this is the first Friday the 13th we've had that has shown any hint of bad luck. You see, Orren, who usually sleeps until at least 7, was up for the day at 4. Of course, it was Thak's day to get up with him, since he's got a 4-day weekend this time (although we're not sure why. 99% chance it's got to do with the El Paso Independent School District beginning classes this coming week. Strange... the Army never does anything like that for people who live outside the disgusting Northeast side of town, and therefore whose kids do not attend EPISD schools. Anyhow...)
After that, the luck got better. Thak told me, drearily, as we were driving somewhere, that he entered to win a toolbox in a raffle at school, but there's no way he was going to win because some other guy bought 20 tickets, and he had only bought 3. I told him that it only takes one, and just last week, in a cloth diaper giveaway, some girl had over 50% of the entries, but still didn't win, so don't think 20 ticket dude had a corner on winning, because he doesn't.
Two hours later, the phone rang. Wouldn't you know, Thak won that toolbox.
A $3000 toolbox is a pretty good return on 3 $5 raffle tickets! Take that, Friday the 13th!! Yeah!!
After that, the luck got better. Thak told me, drearily, as we were driving somewhere, that he entered to win a toolbox in a raffle at school, but there's no way he was going to win because some other guy bought 20 tickets, and he had only bought 3. I told him that it only takes one, and just last week, in a cloth diaper giveaway, some girl had over 50% of the entries, but still didn't win, so don't think 20 ticket dude had a corner on winning, because he doesn't.
Two hours later, the phone rang. Wouldn't you know, Thak won that toolbox.
A $3000 toolbox is a pretty good return on 3 $5 raffle tickets! Take that, Friday the 13th!! Yeah!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dear Madame Idiot:
In the past year, I have had to school you on the difference between activism and extremism. You have also informed me, in a very rude manner, that you don't think the laws of physics apply to you, and obviously did not understand even a little bit of the calculations I performed at your request, to substantiate my point, despite the fact that they involved only single-variable calculus, which you insisted you had taken courses in.
I'm going to seriously doubt you're a classically trained violinist, pianist, and oboist, but I'll let that slide because I could be wrong, I guess (although I'm sure I'm not). If you EVER try to tell me you skipped two grades in school ever again, though, I am so calling you out. If you were intelligent enough to skip any grades, you would certainly have consulted Webster (although if you're that smart, you wouldn't need to) before making an ass of yourself by thinking that Iraq Veterans Against the War is an extremist organization. Furthermore, you would have taken Calculus somewhere along the way, and would understand at least rudimentary concepts of Physics. None of these, do you do. Oh, and you might also want to change the dates on your social networking profiles, as right now, they have you graduating high school in the year you would have turned 18, which is pretty inconsistent with skipping two grades unless you didn't enroll in school until the age of 7, which I'm sure isn't the case... those silly truancy laws and all.
Oh, and you're WHITE!!!! WHITE WHITE WHITE!!! Nobody believes that you're Native American. Nobody. And your in-laws DO NOT call you "injun". NOBODY has said that word in at least 100 years. Just stop. You're white. We all see the streaks and lines of your bad spray tan, and I've gotta say, none of my Native American friends are orange like you. Just stop it. None of us are impressed. We're all annoyed.
Furthermore, will you please ask your poor husband to get orders elsewhere, preferably to Korea, because it's REALLY far from here, and I will probably never go there?
Signed,
Me... and people tend to go with my opinion on stuff like this.
PS, the stuff you make looks like total shit even after you copped several of my designs. If you must copy, can't you at least do it well? Oh who am I kidding? It's you we're talking about! The only thing you do well is annoy people!
UPDATE:
Now she's bitching because she's saying she took Calculus and Physics at a well known SEC university (yes, she said which one. I'm leaving that detail out by choice.) yet now our local Community College is saying her credits won't transfer, and she's in Remedial Math.
OK, first of all, this pisses me off because I actually DID go to a really good school, and I can't stand dumbasses like her making a mockery of something a lot of people, myself included, worked so hard to get done. For another, I know for an absolute fact that those credits, if they existed, would transfer to any college or university in this state, and that if you were previously enrolled anywhere accredited, you do not have to take placement testing when you transfer schools. Oh, and there is no way in holy hell that anybody who passed calc EVER would be placed in remedial math.
I'm just really tired of this buffoon making a mockery of things I worked really hard at. I don't tell many people where I went to school, or for what, because honestly, I've found that it complicates things. Maybe I should, though. I mean, would it shut this stupid bitch up?? Probably not, and she might even take it as me engaging in her pissing contest, and that, I most certainly will not do. It just makes me mad, though. It shouldn't, but it does. Although I guess it's some consolation that the only one who seems to believe this girl's line of shit is the one who thinks "dethaw" is a word. I guess water finds its own level. I just wish it would do it somewhere I'm not.
I'm going to seriously doubt you're a classically trained violinist, pianist, and oboist, but I'll let that slide because I could be wrong, I guess (although I'm sure I'm not). If you EVER try to tell me you skipped two grades in school ever again, though, I am so calling you out. If you were intelligent enough to skip any grades, you would certainly have consulted Webster (although if you're that smart, you wouldn't need to) before making an ass of yourself by thinking that Iraq Veterans Against the War is an extremist organization. Furthermore, you would have taken Calculus somewhere along the way, and would understand at least rudimentary concepts of Physics. None of these, do you do. Oh, and you might also want to change the dates on your social networking profiles, as right now, they have you graduating high school in the year you would have turned 18, which is pretty inconsistent with skipping two grades unless you didn't enroll in school until the age of 7, which I'm sure isn't the case... those silly truancy laws and all.
Oh, and you're WHITE!!!! WHITE WHITE WHITE!!! Nobody believes that you're Native American. Nobody. And your in-laws DO NOT call you "injun". NOBODY has said that word in at least 100 years. Just stop. You're white. We all see the streaks and lines of your bad spray tan, and I've gotta say, none of my Native American friends are orange like you. Just stop it. None of us are impressed. We're all annoyed.
Furthermore, will you please ask your poor husband to get orders elsewhere, preferably to Korea, because it's REALLY far from here, and I will probably never go there?
Signed,
Me... and people tend to go with my opinion on stuff like this.
PS, the stuff you make looks like total shit even after you copped several of my designs. If you must copy, can't you at least do it well? Oh who am I kidding? It's you we're talking about! The only thing you do well is annoy people!
UPDATE:
Now she's bitching because she's saying she took Calculus and Physics at a well known SEC university (yes, she said which one. I'm leaving that detail out by choice.) yet now our local Community College is saying her credits won't transfer, and she's in Remedial Math.
OK, first of all, this pisses me off because I actually DID go to a really good school, and I can't stand dumbasses like her making a mockery of something a lot of people, myself included, worked so hard to get done. For another, I know for an absolute fact that those credits, if they existed, would transfer to any college or university in this state, and that if you were previously enrolled anywhere accredited, you do not have to take placement testing when you transfer schools. Oh, and there is no way in holy hell that anybody who passed calc EVER would be placed in remedial math.
I'm just really tired of this buffoon making a mockery of things I worked really hard at. I don't tell many people where I went to school, or for what, because honestly, I've found that it complicates things. Maybe I should, though. I mean, would it shut this stupid bitch up?? Probably not, and she might even take it as me engaging in her pissing contest, and that, I most certainly will not do. It just makes me mad, though. It shouldn't, but it does. Although I guess it's some consolation that the only one who seems to believe this girl's line of shit is the one who thinks "dethaw" is a word. I guess water finds its own level. I just wish it would do it somewhere I'm not.
33% in 2009. Wow!!
In 2008, when Orren was born, the circumcision rate for the US was just over 50%. In the state of GA, where he was born, it was roughly 60%. This didn't influence our decision at all to leave Orren intact. We would have done that even if every other family in the entire US had their sons circ'd. It's a human rights thing, you know. It just makes no sense to chop off a healthy part of the anatomy of a non-consenting person. Babies are people, after all. We figure we wouldn't want anyone to perform an irreversible cosmetic procedure on us without our consent, and the people in our lives have granted us that courtesy, fortunately for us (Children in some other parts of the world are not that lucky, boys or girls!), so our baby boy deserves the same regard. His body, his choice.
Funny enough, cloth diapering has given us a lot of chances to discuss the circ issue with people, because the first question parents considering cloth diapering ask us, in at least 50% of cases, is "Well, how did you protect the cloth diapers from the vaseline they put on the baby's circumcision?" which gives us a chance to talk about the reasons why we left Orren intact, and surprisingly, to clear up misconceptions. ("Isn't it hard to care for if you don't circ?" "Aren't there a lot of infections?" "Don't most who are left intact develop problems from it later in life?" NO on all counts!) Of course, this doesn't tell anyone how to protect cloth diapers from whatever gunk they put on the baby after they lop off a piece of him, but you wouldn't believe how many parents think that circumcision is requisite to leaving the hospital, and all little boys just have it done by default. At least we have the opportunity to plant the seed of curiosity in the minds of some parents, and let them know that circumcision is not even slightly medically necessary, and not a decision to be taken lightly. It is irreversible, and permanently takes away the right of that person (because babies are people!) to choose for himself. Legitimately, how can someone assume they have the right to make that decision for another person? I can't do that. Thak can't do that. What we can do is exactly what we did, and let our son keep the perfectly functional body he was born with, and the freedom to alter it when he's old enough to make that choice for himself, should he choose to do so.
We are definitely NOT the only parents who are speaking out about this issue. Many are. This trend toward "intactivism" is just another popular component of alternative parenting, and goes right along with out-of-hospital births, cloth diapering, alternative vaccination schedules, breastfeeding, baby wearing, and homegrown organic veggies.
While many may dismiss this as just another fad, a flash in the pan type of thing, now nobody can deny that it's making a difference. At the World AIDS Conference in Vienna this past month, the US's Center for Disease Control announced that the circumcision rate for the entire US has fallen to 33% in 2009. 33%!!!!!! That is a drastic drop. The activist group Intact America estimates that over a million little boys were spared thanks to the decrease in circ between 2008 and 2009. How amazing is that? A million people who wouldn't have gotten the chance before, got to keep the bodies they were born with so they can make their own decisions on it when they're old enough to do that.
Parents, we've got to keep talking about this issue when it comes up in conversation. It's not gross or dirty to talk about. It is a human rights issue, and people are listening. Let's make the US circumcision rate 0% by 2012!! We're the only country in the industrialized world that has an infant circumcision rate above 10%, and that needs to change. It CAN change.
Doctors, midwives, and anyone else who takes care of newborn babies and their moms, you MUST talk about this with your patients also. Our midwives wrote in the literature we were given at birth class that circumcision is unnecessary, and that deciding to make that decision for your son is a very serious thing. I'll bet that just by putting that out there, they've spared hundreds, if not thousands, of little boys over the years. If everyone who delivers prenatal care would just put it out there that there is no medical indication for routine infant circumcision, the rates would fall even more drastically than they already have.
33% in 2009. Hell yeah to 67% of America, for making a smart choice. To use the outdated argument of the pro-circ lobby, "Don't let your son be the odd one out in the locker room!"..... Leave him intact!!
Funny enough, cloth diapering has given us a lot of chances to discuss the circ issue with people, because the first question parents considering cloth diapering ask us, in at least 50% of cases, is "Well, how did you protect the cloth diapers from the vaseline they put on the baby's circumcision?" which gives us a chance to talk about the reasons why we left Orren intact, and surprisingly, to clear up misconceptions. ("Isn't it hard to care for if you don't circ?" "Aren't there a lot of infections?" "Don't most who are left intact develop problems from it later in life?" NO on all counts!) Of course, this doesn't tell anyone how to protect cloth diapers from whatever gunk they put on the baby after they lop off a piece of him, but you wouldn't believe how many parents think that circumcision is requisite to leaving the hospital, and all little boys just have it done by default. At least we have the opportunity to plant the seed of curiosity in the minds of some parents, and let them know that circumcision is not even slightly medically necessary, and not a decision to be taken lightly. It is irreversible, and permanently takes away the right of that person (because babies are people!) to choose for himself. Legitimately, how can someone assume they have the right to make that decision for another person? I can't do that. Thak can't do that. What we can do is exactly what we did, and let our son keep the perfectly functional body he was born with, and the freedom to alter it when he's old enough to make that choice for himself, should he choose to do so.
We are definitely NOT the only parents who are speaking out about this issue. Many are. This trend toward "intactivism" is just another popular component of alternative parenting, and goes right along with out-of-hospital births, cloth diapering, alternative vaccination schedules, breastfeeding, baby wearing, and homegrown organic veggies.
While many may dismiss this as just another fad, a flash in the pan type of thing, now nobody can deny that it's making a difference. At the World AIDS Conference in Vienna this past month, the US's Center for Disease Control announced that the circumcision rate for the entire US has fallen to 33% in 2009. 33%!!!!!! That is a drastic drop. The activist group Intact America estimates that over a million little boys were spared thanks to the decrease in circ between 2008 and 2009. How amazing is that? A million people who wouldn't have gotten the chance before, got to keep the bodies they were born with so they can make their own decisions on it when they're old enough to do that.
Parents, we've got to keep talking about this issue when it comes up in conversation. It's not gross or dirty to talk about. It is a human rights issue, and people are listening. Let's make the US circumcision rate 0% by 2012!! We're the only country in the industrialized world that has an infant circumcision rate above 10%, and that needs to change. It CAN change.
Doctors, midwives, and anyone else who takes care of newborn babies and their moms, you MUST talk about this with your patients also. Our midwives wrote in the literature we were given at birth class that circumcision is unnecessary, and that deciding to make that decision for your son is a very serious thing. I'll bet that just by putting that out there, they've spared hundreds, if not thousands, of little boys over the years. If everyone who delivers prenatal care would just put it out there that there is no medical indication for routine infant circumcision, the rates would fall even more drastically than they already have.
33% in 2009. Hell yeah to 67% of America, for making a smart choice. To use the outdated argument of the pro-circ lobby, "Don't let your son be the odd one out in the locker room!"..... Leave him intact!!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Successful 3-acrosses!
So I decided to play carseats tonight. It's no fun in Thak's truck, of course, because that thing is 10 miles wide, and you could fit ANY combination you want in the backseat, and the kids would still have to shout to talk to each other. No, seriously, I look back there, and even with two of the most notoriously wide seats on the market, a Graco Nautilus for Erin and a rear-facing Britax Marathon for Orren, there is still enough space for literally any seat on the market between them.
Playing carseats with my car, however, is like the holy grail of carseat prowess. (Yes, I know how nerdy that sounds, and I do not care! Ha!) It's a compact car with not much room front to back OR side to side. Can one really get a 3-across combination of seats in there? Most people would say no. Most people who own a car like mine buy an SUV about the time they decide to have a second baby, and the remainder when they decide to have a 3rd, because there's no way 3 carseats could ever fit back there, right? WRONG!
It's tricky, a bit of a workout, and NOT for the faint or the inexperienced, and I wouldn't try it on a day when you're already pissed off either. Barring that stuff, in the legendary words of the weird guy from The Waterboy, "You can do eet!!" Here's one way that I did it:
This is a rear-facing 2010 Radian XTSL, driver's side outboard; a 2007 Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, inboard; and a 2006 Evenflo Big Kid booster, passenger's side outboard. OK, those who know me know this is NOT Erin's usual booster. This brings me to the #1 rule of the 3-across. Thou shalt use whatever seats fit, and thou shalt not be a prima donna about it. There was no other seat we have in our massive stable of carseats that would puzzle in this configuration aside from the old Evenflo that we keep on hand for bonus kids whose parents don't put them in boosters anymore. So be it. A Graco Turbobooster would probably fit in this configuration as well since it's shaped similarly. I don't have a Turbo on hand to test that, though, so don't quote me.
Otherwise, things to know about this set-up are that you MUST do all seatbelt installs. If I kept the Radian with LATCH, as it had been, I'd have lost nearly 6" of space, and that would have rendered this completely impossible. When installing the Radian, you must twist the belt stalks a couple times to get them low enough so as not to interfere with the belt path. Oh, and make sure that you pull the seatbelt all the way out and then let it go back in to its proper position so that it locks. OK, another thing to know is that the base of the Primo Viaggio installs like a dream with LATCH, but with seatbelt, it's AWFUL to install. Awful. I got it done, but it took more time than any of the other seats, as hard as that may be to believe. Also, we will not be using this seat as a carrier for baby #3, because it's too hard to get in and out from between the other two seats. It would be possible, but not practical. Oh, but on a very positive note, the booster is actually really easy to buckle. I had this booster alongside that infant seat in that exact configuration (minus the Radian) when Orren was born, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised, but I can definitely say, that part of the setup works like a charm. I also like that the two rear-facers have their seatbelts together, and not against the booster, so there's no risk of Erin unbuckling the middle seatbelt while getting out at school or anything. This is more incentive to put your booster passenger's side outboard, and keep your harnessed kids middle and driver's side outboard.
This is the second configuration I did. It's, once again, a rear-facing 2010 Radian XTSL, followed by a rear-facing 2009 Britax Diplomat, and the 2006 Evenflo Big Kid. This set-up was actually a lot easier than the other, minus the fact that Britax's belt path is STUPIDLY narrow, and no adult on this planet could possibly get their hand through there. Basically, anyone who attempts to install a Britax with the seatbelt (I'd only ever used LATCH until this point) save yourself the busted knuckles I got, and just take the cover off the lower part of the seat, expose the belt path, and do it that way. It took me way too long to figure that out, so learn from my mistakes, please. Anyhow, the Britax, being a seat that sits higher than the others, actually puzzles very well against the Radian, and the Evenflo. The booster is not as easy to buckle in this configuration as the other, but it's still very feasible.
Playing carseats with my car, however, is like the holy grail of carseat prowess. (Yes, I know how nerdy that sounds, and I do not care! Ha!) It's a compact car with not much room front to back OR side to side. Can one really get a 3-across combination of seats in there? Most people would say no. Most people who own a car like mine buy an SUV about the time they decide to have a second baby, and the remainder when they decide to have a 3rd, because there's no way 3 carseats could ever fit back there, right? WRONG!
It's tricky, a bit of a workout, and NOT for the faint or the inexperienced, and I wouldn't try it on a day when you're already pissed off either. Barring that stuff, in the legendary words of the weird guy from The Waterboy, "You can do eet!!" Here's one way that I did it:
This is a rear-facing 2010 Radian XTSL, driver's side outboard; a 2007 Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, inboard; and a 2006 Evenflo Big Kid booster, passenger's side outboard. OK, those who know me know this is NOT Erin's usual booster. This brings me to the #1 rule of the 3-across. Thou shalt use whatever seats fit, and thou shalt not be a prima donna about it. There was no other seat we have in our massive stable of carseats that would puzzle in this configuration aside from the old Evenflo that we keep on hand for bonus kids whose parents don't put them in boosters anymore. So be it. A Graco Turbobooster would probably fit in this configuration as well since it's shaped similarly. I don't have a Turbo on hand to test that, though, so don't quote me.
Otherwise, things to know about this set-up are that you MUST do all seatbelt installs. If I kept the Radian with LATCH, as it had been, I'd have lost nearly 6" of space, and that would have rendered this completely impossible. When installing the Radian, you must twist the belt stalks a couple times to get them low enough so as not to interfere with the belt path. Oh, and make sure that you pull the seatbelt all the way out and then let it go back in to its proper position so that it locks. OK, another thing to know is that the base of the Primo Viaggio installs like a dream with LATCH, but with seatbelt, it's AWFUL to install. Awful. I got it done, but it took more time than any of the other seats, as hard as that may be to believe. Also, we will not be using this seat as a carrier for baby #3, because it's too hard to get in and out from between the other two seats. It would be possible, but not practical. Oh, but on a very positive note, the booster is actually really easy to buckle. I had this booster alongside that infant seat in that exact configuration (minus the Radian) when Orren was born, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised, but I can definitely say, that part of the setup works like a charm. I also like that the two rear-facers have their seatbelts together, and not against the booster, so there's no risk of Erin unbuckling the middle seatbelt while getting out at school or anything. This is more incentive to put your booster passenger's side outboard, and keep your harnessed kids middle and driver's side outboard.
This is the second configuration I did. It's, once again, a rear-facing 2010 Radian XTSL, followed by a rear-facing 2009 Britax Diplomat, and the 2006 Evenflo Big Kid. This set-up was actually a lot easier than the other, minus the fact that Britax's belt path is STUPIDLY narrow, and no adult on this planet could possibly get their hand through there. Basically, anyone who attempts to install a Britax with the seatbelt (I'd only ever used LATCH until this point) save yourself the busted knuckles I got, and just take the cover off the lower part of the seat, expose the belt path, and do it that way. It took me way too long to figure that out, so learn from my mistakes, please. Anyhow, the Britax, being a seat that sits higher than the others, actually puzzles very well against the Radian, and the Evenflo. The booster is not as easy to buckle in this configuration as the other, but it's still very feasible.
The next money and planet saving trend
Un-paper towels are catching on in a big way, and as of today, we've added ourselves to the list of families using them. Basically, un-paper towels are just thin cloths usually resembling flat diapers (in my case, they ARE flat diapers! LOL) which are used in the place of paper towels. Many people put snaps on them and roll them around a paper towel stand so they function exactly like paper towels, while others prefer snapless. I'm on the fence, but leaning toward snaps. Since I'm making my own (yes, some people buy this stuff) I've got time to figure it out.
It seems like the simplest decision, and really, it is. How many generations that came before us NEVER used paper towels? A lot, just like a lot of generations that came before us never used disposable diapers. It's just that in today's world, it seems like nobody is immune from "use once and throw away" mentality. I can't even claim to be outside the mainstream on that to a certain extent. Granted, our household waste is not even 1/4 that of many other families we know. (I was always astounded when I lived on post, by how much trash the other families on our block generated. I'm talking two full trash cans a week, and no recycling. It was sad.) We recycle more than we throw away, and we are greener by a mile than the majority our peers, but there is still a lot we can improve on.
It wasn't long ago that I had a major revelation at the grocery store. I was on the paper products aisle, and looked to my left and right. That's when it hit me that this entire aisle of the grocery store, just like the disposable diaper aisle, consisted entirely of trash in waiting. Every single thing on that aisle would wind up in the landfill, probably within the month. When one is bought, another is put out in its place, and ALL the while, every single thing you see on the grocery store aisles will end up in the landfill eventually, generally very quickly. This cycle is never ending, and only gets faster with the increase of population. Just think about that for a minute. It's sobering, isn't it? It was to me, but the cool thing is that it's all a choice. We are totally free and able to take ourselves and our families out of that equation to any extent we choose. We've decided to keep toilet paper, but lose the paper towels. We're already using cloth diapers exclusively, and all natural cleaners (we've gone to a homemade mix because we found that the store bought ones had a lot of nasty additives, and also to reduce the amount of packaging we were going through.) so our family's contribution to the landfill is well under half that of a comparable family, but we can still reduce it further by cutting out our use of paper towels.
I think this is our responsibility as tenants of this planet (as our Native friends tell us, we're only borrowing it from our children) to find ways to walk a little softer. Erin and I had a big conversation about ways to save the earth just today. She had noticed trash on the roadside, and said, "I wish people wouldn't throw their garbage everywhere. It's bad for our earth to be all trashy." I said I agreed with her, and asked what else she thought people could do to save the earth. She came up with cloth diapering, using the clothesline, recycling, cleaning with vinegar and water instead of chemical cleaners, giving your outgrown clothes to other people who could use them, and driving a car that doesn't use much gas. Smart kid. She's a lot more on the ball than most of the adults I know.
It's all in the little things, people. You do one little thing, it makes a difference. You do many little things, it makes a BIG difference. One person, or one family, cannot single handedly save the planet, but we can compensate for the jerkoffs who refuse to live anything but the most gluttonous lifestyle, and let's face it, somebody's got to do it. Try unpaper towels. It's just one more way to make a small change for a big difference over the course of time.
It seems like the simplest decision, and really, it is. How many generations that came before us NEVER used paper towels? A lot, just like a lot of generations that came before us never used disposable diapers. It's just that in today's world, it seems like nobody is immune from "use once and throw away" mentality. I can't even claim to be outside the mainstream on that to a certain extent. Granted, our household waste is not even 1/4 that of many other families we know. (I was always astounded when I lived on post, by how much trash the other families on our block generated. I'm talking two full trash cans a week, and no recycling. It was sad.) We recycle more than we throw away, and we are greener by a mile than the majority our peers, but there is still a lot we can improve on.
It wasn't long ago that I had a major revelation at the grocery store. I was on the paper products aisle, and looked to my left and right. That's when it hit me that this entire aisle of the grocery store, just like the disposable diaper aisle, consisted entirely of trash in waiting. Every single thing on that aisle would wind up in the landfill, probably within the month. When one is bought, another is put out in its place, and ALL the while, every single thing you see on the grocery store aisles will end up in the landfill eventually, generally very quickly. This cycle is never ending, and only gets faster with the increase of population. Just think about that for a minute. It's sobering, isn't it? It was to me, but the cool thing is that it's all a choice. We are totally free and able to take ourselves and our families out of that equation to any extent we choose. We've decided to keep toilet paper, but lose the paper towels. We're already using cloth diapers exclusively, and all natural cleaners (we've gone to a homemade mix because we found that the store bought ones had a lot of nasty additives, and also to reduce the amount of packaging we were going through.) so our family's contribution to the landfill is well under half that of a comparable family, but we can still reduce it further by cutting out our use of paper towels.
I think this is our responsibility as tenants of this planet (as our Native friends tell us, we're only borrowing it from our children) to find ways to walk a little softer. Erin and I had a big conversation about ways to save the earth just today. She had noticed trash on the roadside, and said, "I wish people wouldn't throw their garbage everywhere. It's bad for our earth to be all trashy." I said I agreed with her, and asked what else she thought people could do to save the earth. She came up with cloth diapering, using the clothesline, recycling, cleaning with vinegar and water instead of chemical cleaners, giving your outgrown clothes to other people who could use them, and driving a car that doesn't use much gas. Smart kid. She's a lot more on the ball than most of the adults I know.
It's all in the little things, people. You do one little thing, it makes a difference. You do many little things, it makes a BIG difference. One person, or one family, cannot single handedly save the planet, but we can compensate for the jerkoffs who refuse to live anything but the most gluttonous lifestyle, and let's face it, somebody's got to do it. Try unpaper towels. It's just one more way to make a small change for a big difference over the course of time.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Erin, Erin!
A lot is new with Erin.
First of all, we went to the meeting with her principal last week, and found that she will be repeating first grade next year. They really don't want to do any testing on her for her learning disability or her language delay. The principal said straight-up, "From what I can see here, this child does not have special needs." We'll see how this goes. They said they have 22 kids to a class. That's way too many for Erin to succeed, so hopefully we'll be able to talk them into testing her later in the year, and then doing what actually works, which is to give her a small group and supplemental tutoring. I told the principal that when Erin was given those things, she was on track to be on grade level by the end of the year. IT WORKS. I don't think she was buying it, though. We'll just keep pushing, though... at least it's not the public schools. This school is English-only, and that alone is a huge step up.
Oh, and school starts the Tuesday following Labor Day. We've got the entire month to get her uniforms (and we found out where to order them) and her school supplies (the list is long, but not demeaningly so like the public schools), and for them to finish building the school.
Otherwise, Erin lost her first top tooth today! I can't believe it! That makes 3 teeth in a month's time! The Florida tooth fairy gave her a big raise (in the words of our friend Diaz, "Inflation's a bitch.") so the West Texas tooth fairy will have to see what's up, because I have a feeling this $1 crap isn't going to fly anymore in this house!
So that's what's up with Erin.
First of all, we went to the meeting with her principal last week, and found that she will be repeating first grade next year. They really don't want to do any testing on her for her learning disability or her language delay. The principal said straight-up, "From what I can see here, this child does not have special needs." We'll see how this goes. They said they have 22 kids to a class. That's way too many for Erin to succeed, so hopefully we'll be able to talk them into testing her later in the year, and then doing what actually works, which is to give her a small group and supplemental tutoring. I told the principal that when Erin was given those things, she was on track to be on grade level by the end of the year. IT WORKS. I don't think she was buying it, though. We'll just keep pushing, though... at least it's not the public schools. This school is English-only, and that alone is a huge step up.
Oh, and school starts the Tuesday following Labor Day. We've got the entire month to get her uniforms (and we found out where to order them) and her school supplies (the list is long, but not demeaningly so like the public schools), and for them to finish building the school.
Otherwise, Erin lost her first top tooth today! I can't believe it! That makes 3 teeth in a month's time! The Florida tooth fairy gave her a big raise (in the words of our friend Diaz, "Inflation's a bitch.") so the West Texas tooth fairy will have to see what's up, because I have a feeling this $1 crap isn't going to fly anymore in this house!
So that's what's up with Erin.
You ain't goin' crazy, it's all in your head.
A cookie if you can name the band that sings the song the title is a lyric from. (OK, if you don't know, it's Diamond Rio, and the name of the song is "It's All In Your Head".)
I was reminded of this lyric lately because it occurred to me that everyone around me seems to think they're being judged left and right, but they're really not. It's all in their heads.
I semi-recently tried to advise a teen mom on carseat safety. She was very hostile toward me, even though she was wrong, dead wrong, in her practice, and I was friendly and upbeat in my approach. I was telling a friend what a bitch that girl was, and how I felt sorry for her kids because if they ever get in an accident, they're as good as dead, and this friend told me, "But think about it, Anna. Young moms are always being judged. I remember when D was little, everyone used to give me dirty looks." OK, this friend had her daughter D when she was 21, the same age I was when I had Erin. I seriously cannot ever recall being judged for being a young mom. Maybe it's my inability to understand non-verbal communication, but I cannot ever recall being given a dirty look, or receiving a rude comment, because I had Erin when I was young... and I was even single! None of the girls I know who claim to get judged all the time are single.
This leads me to one conclusion. It's all in their heads. Nobody gives half a crap what age you were when you had your kids. I've seen some older moms with some heinously ignorant practices, and I've met a mom who was 15 when her son was born, and she breastfed for 3 years, cloth diapered exclusively, scraped together pennies to buy her son the same carseat Orren has and rear-faced him until Kindergarten, and got a community garden plot so she could grow her own organic veggies to feed her son. Age doesn't mean anything when it comes to being a good parent, and I'm 100% sure society has gotten the memo. Young moms, from a fellow young mom, I'm telling you, it's all in your head. Nobody is judging you.
It occurred to me again yesterday when Thak told me he was getting tons of dirty looks for not speaking Spanish. I told him straight-up that it's all in his head. I've never seen anyone give him a dirty look for not speaking Spanish. You know, some days I don't want to speak Spanish either, so I only speak English on those days. I'm in the US, and it's my right to speak English if I want to, even here on the border. Nobody has ever given me a dirty look for not speaking Spanish on the days when I choose not to. Anyone who thinks they get dirty looks for speaking English is seeing things. It's in their head.
I think it comes down to insecurity. People who had kids young are often insecure about that decision, and think people will judge them, so in their minds, they make it so. Thak is insecure that he doesn't speak Spanish, so he makes himself think people are giving him dirty looks for it. It's plain as day.
I can't honestly think of one thing I'm insecure about. I don't make decisions unless they're well-researched. If I don't speak the language somewhere, I'll learn it. If anyone wants to question my decisions or my commitment to something, they can do that, because I'll have an answer for them on exactly why I did what I did, an answer that I believe fully in. I don't do things I'm iffy on. I urge anyone who's insecure about something and thinks people are judging them for it, to investigate why that is, and make that decision right with themselves in some way. If YOU feel right about what you're doing, you'll find that society does, too.
I was reminded of this lyric lately because it occurred to me that everyone around me seems to think they're being judged left and right, but they're really not. It's all in their heads.
I semi-recently tried to advise a teen mom on carseat safety. She was very hostile toward me, even though she was wrong, dead wrong, in her practice, and I was friendly and upbeat in my approach. I was telling a friend what a bitch that girl was, and how I felt sorry for her kids because if they ever get in an accident, they're as good as dead, and this friend told me, "But think about it, Anna. Young moms are always being judged. I remember when D was little, everyone used to give me dirty looks." OK, this friend had her daughter D when she was 21, the same age I was when I had Erin. I seriously cannot ever recall being judged for being a young mom. Maybe it's my inability to understand non-verbal communication, but I cannot ever recall being given a dirty look, or receiving a rude comment, because I had Erin when I was young... and I was even single! None of the girls I know who claim to get judged all the time are single.
This leads me to one conclusion. It's all in their heads. Nobody gives half a crap what age you were when you had your kids. I've seen some older moms with some heinously ignorant practices, and I've met a mom who was 15 when her son was born, and she breastfed for 3 years, cloth diapered exclusively, scraped together pennies to buy her son the same carseat Orren has and rear-faced him until Kindergarten, and got a community garden plot so she could grow her own organic veggies to feed her son. Age doesn't mean anything when it comes to being a good parent, and I'm 100% sure society has gotten the memo. Young moms, from a fellow young mom, I'm telling you, it's all in your head. Nobody is judging you.
It occurred to me again yesterday when Thak told me he was getting tons of dirty looks for not speaking Spanish. I told him straight-up that it's all in his head. I've never seen anyone give him a dirty look for not speaking Spanish. You know, some days I don't want to speak Spanish either, so I only speak English on those days. I'm in the US, and it's my right to speak English if I want to, even here on the border. Nobody has ever given me a dirty look for not speaking Spanish on the days when I choose not to. Anyone who thinks they get dirty looks for speaking English is seeing things. It's in their head.
I think it comes down to insecurity. People who had kids young are often insecure about that decision, and think people will judge them, so in their minds, they make it so. Thak is insecure that he doesn't speak Spanish, so he makes himself think people are giving him dirty looks for it. It's plain as day.
I can't honestly think of one thing I'm insecure about. I don't make decisions unless they're well-researched. If I don't speak the language somewhere, I'll learn it. If anyone wants to question my decisions or my commitment to something, they can do that, because I'll have an answer for them on exactly why I did what I did, an answer that I believe fully in. I don't do things I'm iffy on. I urge anyone who's insecure about something and thinks people are judging them for it, to investigate why that is, and make that decision right with themselves in some way. If YOU feel right about what you're doing, you'll find that society does, too.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Fashion tips, football babe style.
OK, with football season fast approaching, everyone's getting their stuff together, getting geared up for the pre-season, and most of all, the Vikings "Sweet Revenge" grudge match with the Saints in just a month's time. OK, so the latter part is just me as far as my group of friends goes. Anyhow, I definitely understand a bit of NFL Fever this time of year, because I've got it myself. I'll admit, ever since Thak bought me my me-sized Jared Allen (#69) jersey, I've been trying to figure out what to pair it with so I'll look hot on game day, showing my Viking pride!!
Not so coincidentally, Victoria's Secret has announced the teams whose colors will appear in their NFL collection, which will be part of the Pink line. The Victoria's Secret Pink line, in case you didn't know, was released about the time I graduated high school, and is a low-priced line of casual wear and some under-things, which is intended for university students. I LOVED Pink when I was that age. LOVED IT. For one, I could afford it. For another, they had really cute stuff that didn't just scream "TRYING TOO HARD!!" when worn by an 18-year-old, and was comfy to wear to late night study groups and early morning lectures.
OK, so now that we've got that out of the way, I must tell about a big pet peeve of mine. It seems that the 250 pound, pushing 30 years old, mommy of 4 kids, crowd has glommed onto the Pink line for years, and is now flipping out over the new NFL collection. Is it that they don't own mirrors? First of all, what in that line would even fit them? Secondly, nobody over the age of 25 (and that's being generous!) should EVER wear that stuff. I get wanting to be cute for football season, but wearing age-inappropriate clothing that doesn't fit you and would never look good on your body style, is not the way to go.
As a 28-year-old mom of two, I find that a lovely age-appropriate football babe look includes a women's cut NFL jersey, skinny jeans, and Converse. If you're skinny like me, the trick is in layering with a white shirt appropriate for the weather (and let's face it, those jerseys are full of holes anyhow, so you want to wear something under it) and pairing the whole thing with an excellent push-up bra. If you're not skinny, then you probably still want to layer, but can probably just do a cami if you want. I'd say for people who are not thin, it's important to get a longer jersey, should you decide to wear one. I find that the licensed NFL women's jerseys from Fans Edge run very true to size. I've got a Small, and it fits somewhat loose on me (5'6", 114 pounds, 32A). If you want one that's not as close fitted like the women's ones, there's always the option to get a kids' one or a mens' one, and pair it with some black leggings or skinny jeans, like an 80's kid... after all, all of us who are in our late 20's these days ARE 80's kids! Plus, if you don't have much of a waist, a kids' or men's jersey will definitely fit better than a women's one anyhow. (This is one time when it's good to be honest with yourself... hell, anytime clothes are involved is.) Of course, an excellent pair of shoes is important, too. I like Converse with this outfit, and they're definitely popular these days, but if they're not your thing, a pair of flats in your team's colors would look outstanding!
Of course, a lot of people forgo the jerseys. Hell, I did until like a week ago. In fact, if you're not the type to wear skinny jeans or leggings, you SHOULD skip the jersey. If you want to wear bootcut or flare jeans, they look amazing with a tank top for those early season games, or with a very fitted long sleeved t-shirt for the playoffs. I find tons of this stuff on vikings.com, and I know that every team has it available. For me, once again, it's in contrast. If I'm wearing a pair of super low bootcut jeans, with my clingy purple game day sweater, I will not be without an adorable belt, and an awesome pair of stilettos. To take this outfit from "I pulled something off the floor" to "football babe" is all in accessorizing! Headbands are back in style. One in the lesser of the team's colors (for example, yellow for me since I'm a Vikings fan, yellow also for you wretched Packers fans, white for the Colts, orange for the Bears, etc.), and follow the headband instructions that come with your Bump It's, will top off a casual football look super nicely. Don't forget the earrings either. They don't have to be fancy. I just wear a pair of silver hoops I got at Macy's for like $20. It just adds a nice touch.
I think it comes down to a few things:
1) Dress for your body style. If you're an A-cup like me, nothing that's going to show off your lack of cleavage is going to do you any favors. If you're not as thin as you once were, buy new clothes because the old ones aren't going to look good.
2) Be age-appropriate. If you're over the age of 25, for the love of all that is sacred and holy, I do not need to see anything written across your ass, nor the word "Pink" anywhere on you.
3) Contrast. No tight tops with skinny jeans because that screams "trying too hard!!!" and looks stupid. No jerseys with loose jeans, because you'll look like a dude. Tight tops with bootcut jeans, and skinny jeans with jerseys, are both totally ace combinations. Don't forget to accessorize. I promise they won't ban you from tapping the keg and doing your good luck endzone dance, just because you're wearing earrings. You'll just look better doing it.
OK, but above all else, having reason to post this can only be a good thing because it means that.......
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Skol Vikings!!
Not so coincidentally, Victoria's Secret has announced the teams whose colors will appear in their NFL collection, which will be part of the Pink line. The Victoria's Secret Pink line, in case you didn't know, was released about the time I graduated high school, and is a low-priced line of casual wear and some under-things, which is intended for university students. I LOVED Pink when I was that age. LOVED IT. For one, I could afford it. For another, they had really cute stuff that didn't just scream "TRYING TOO HARD!!" when worn by an 18-year-old, and was comfy to wear to late night study groups and early morning lectures.
OK, so now that we've got that out of the way, I must tell about a big pet peeve of mine. It seems that the 250 pound, pushing 30 years old, mommy of 4 kids, crowd has glommed onto the Pink line for years, and is now flipping out over the new NFL collection. Is it that they don't own mirrors? First of all, what in that line would even fit them? Secondly, nobody over the age of 25 (and that's being generous!) should EVER wear that stuff. I get wanting to be cute for football season, but wearing age-inappropriate clothing that doesn't fit you and would never look good on your body style, is not the way to go.
As a 28-year-old mom of two, I find that a lovely age-appropriate football babe look includes a women's cut NFL jersey, skinny jeans, and Converse. If you're skinny like me, the trick is in layering with a white shirt appropriate for the weather (and let's face it, those jerseys are full of holes anyhow, so you want to wear something under it) and pairing the whole thing with an excellent push-up bra. If you're not skinny, then you probably still want to layer, but can probably just do a cami if you want. I'd say for people who are not thin, it's important to get a longer jersey, should you decide to wear one. I find that the licensed NFL women's jerseys from Fans Edge run very true to size. I've got a Small, and it fits somewhat loose on me (5'6", 114 pounds, 32A). If you want one that's not as close fitted like the women's ones, there's always the option to get a kids' one or a mens' one, and pair it with some black leggings or skinny jeans, like an 80's kid... after all, all of us who are in our late 20's these days ARE 80's kids! Plus, if you don't have much of a waist, a kids' or men's jersey will definitely fit better than a women's one anyhow. (This is one time when it's good to be honest with yourself... hell, anytime clothes are involved is.) Of course, an excellent pair of shoes is important, too. I like Converse with this outfit, and they're definitely popular these days, but if they're not your thing, a pair of flats in your team's colors would look outstanding!
Of course, a lot of people forgo the jerseys. Hell, I did until like a week ago. In fact, if you're not the type to wear skinny jeans or leggings, you SHOULD skip the jersey. If you want to wear bootcut or flare jeans, they look amazing with a tank top for those early season games, or with a very fitted long sleeved t-shirt for the playoffs. I find tons of this stuff on vikings.com, and I know that every team has it available. For me, once again, it's in contrast. If I'm wearing a pair of super low bootcut jeans, with my clingy purple game day sweater, I will not be without an adorable belt, and an awesome pair of stilettos. To take this outfit from "I pulled something off the floor" to "football babe" is all in accessorizing! Headbands are back in style. One in the lesser of the team's colors (for example, yellow for me since I'm a Vikings fan, yellow also for you wretched Packers fans, white for the Colts, orange for the Bears, etc.), and follow the headband instructions that come with your Bump It's, will top off a casual football look super nicely. Don't forget the earrings either. They don't have to be fancy. I just wear a pair of silver hoops I got at Macy's for like $20. It just adds a nice touch.
I think it comes down to a few things:
1) Dress for your body style. If you're an A-cup like me, nothing that's going to show off your lack of cleavage is going to do you any favors. If you're not as thin as you once were, buy new clothes because the old ones aren't going to look good.
2) Be age-appropriate. If you're over the age of 25, for the love of all that is sacred and holy, I do not need to see anything written across your ass, nor the word "Pink" anywhere on you.
3) Contrast. No tight tops with skinny jeans because that screams "trying too hard!!!" and looks stupid. No jerseys with loose jeans, because you'll look like a dude. Tight tops with bootcut jeans, and skinny jeans with jerseys, are both totally ace combinations. Don't forget to accessorize. I promise they won't ban you from tapping the keg and doing your good luck endzone dance, just because you're wearing earrings. You'll just look better doing it.
OK, but above all else, having reason to post this can only be a good thing because it means that.......
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Skol Vikings!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
My kid could survive this. Could yours?
Here is an article on a Swedish carseat site about an extremely severe car accident in Sweden, from which a rear-facing 1-year-old was the only passenger who walked away with only bumps and bruises. The accident killed 3 out of 5 passengers (one forward-facing child, and two adults), and severely injured another (a forward-facing child). The lone rear-facing passenger was also the weakest physically, and the least able to withstand crash forces on her own, yet she, not any of the others, literally WALKED away from about the most severe car accident imaginable.
Do you still think I'm crazy? Am I prohibiting my son from seeing the world by keeping him rear-facing, with the intention of doing it until we absolutely can't anymore, even if that's 4 or 5 years old? NO! I am giving him a fighting chance, come what may, while I'm still able.
Rear-face your children until you can't anymore. It is five times safer than forward-facing, and it saves lives. Plain and simple, if you want your kids to live through a severe accident, which can happen to anybody, rear-face for as long as you possibly can.
I'll mention it yet again. In Sweden, it is almost unheard of for a child to die in a car accident. In the US, it is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-14. They rear-face to 5 or 6 years old in most cases (I don't know why the 5-year-old in that car wasn't rear-facing. That's abnormal for Sweden.), whereas in the US, we're told to turn our kids forward-facing at one year of age. It's pretty obvious which is the way to go.
Radian XTSL and Radian 80 are extremely tall, with a 45 pound rear-facing limit.
Radian 65 is tall, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
Safety First Complete Air is slightly shorter, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
Graco MyRide is roughly the height of a Britax Marathon, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
The new Cosco Scenera, despite its abnormally short shell, will rear-face to 40 pounds.
The NEW generation of Britax seats ALL rear-face to 40.
Select Evenflo seats also rear-face to 40. I know the Momentum does, not sure which others.
Old Britax, and all other US marketed convertible seats rear-face to 35 pounds.
Orren is enormous for his age, and he will still rear-face to probably 4 years old in his Radian XTSL. No, it's not the 5 or 6 years they get in Sweden, but it's the best we've got in the US, and I think every parent owes it to their kid to do the best they can. Some of the 40 pound rear-facing seats are less than $100. Anybody can afford this, and everybody should.
Do you still think I'm crazy? Am I prohibiting my son from seeing the world by keeping him rear-facing, with the intention of doing it until we absolutely can't anymore, even if that's 4 or 5 years old? NO! I am giving him a fighting chance, come what may, while I'm still able.
Rear-face your children until you can't anymore. It is five times safer than forward-facing, and it saves lives. Plain and simple, if you want your kids to live through a severe accident, which can happen to anybody, rear-face for as long as you possibly can.
I'll mention it yet again. In Sweden, it is almost unheard of for a child to die in a car accident. In the US, it is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-14. They rear-face to 5 or 6 years old in most cases (I don't know why the 5-year-old in that car wasn't rear-facing. That's abnormal for Sweden.), whereas in the US, we're told to turn our kids forward-facing at one year of age. It's pretty obvious which is the way to go.
Radian XTSL and Radian 80 are extremely tall, with a 45 pound rear-facing limit.
Radian 65 is tall, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
Safety First Complete Air is slightly shorter, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
Graco MyRide is roughly the height of a Britax Marathon, and has a 40 pound rear-facing limit.
The new Cosco Scenera, despite its abnormally short shell, will rear-face to 40 pounds.
The NEW generation of Britax seats ALL rear-face to 40.
Select Evenflo seats also rear-face to 40. I know the Momentum does, not sure which others.
Old Britax, and all other US marketed convertible seats rear-face to 35 pounds.
Orren is enormous for his age, and he will still rear-face to probably 4 years old in his Radian XTSL. No, it's not the 5 or 6 years they get in Sweden, but it's the best we've got in the US, and I think every parent owes it to their kid to do the best they can. Some of the 40 pound rear-facing seats are less than $100. Anybody can afford this, and everybody should.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
