The debate rages: cloth or disposables?

GrandBoy is trying out cloth diapers for a while. Face it, the cost of buying disposables in bulk every time you turn around does mount up. So Kate is giving cloth diapers a whirl to see if they fit into the modern lifestyle. There seem to be all sorts of makes and models now - not just a square of soft cotton (grab the rubber pants, folks) and safety pins.

I reckon one can make an environmental argument for using cloth instead of tossing all those soggy disposables in the garbage - though, running two or three loads of diapers through a washer and dryer every day must have an environmental impact as well.

I must confess that when Kate was a baby, cloth diapers never crossed my mind. OK, maybe briefly when I was pregnant and doing a hot Krispy Kreme run, passing one of the local diaper services en route - but, seriously? No. Disposables were just too easy - hang the cost - and Kate never suffered from any rashes or infections, so, yeah, I was all about disposables. And our mothers thought we were so lucky to have disposables (and clothes dryers).

Environmental pressures are greater today (sorry, I draw my touchy-feely save-the-environment line at air conditioning and disposable diapers), and cloth diapers come in a lot of configurations now. Plus, no pins.

I'll get to see how they work up-close-and-personal once I land in Atlanta tomorrow. I still have some concerns over the "shitey-nappies," greatly preferring to hold my nose, wad 'em up, and toss 'em in the diaper pail for trash. I'm hoping they've invented something that just magically makes all that stuff disappear without much work on my part.

In the end, whatever works for whoever's having to do the work is just fine by me. Cloth, disposable - doesn't really matter. Though, Kate may want to check the trash for "loaded" diapers if I'm the one doing the changing.

I will report back. With pictures.

It's good to be 21!

Today, Liam is two months old. But it's also my birthday. And we have one other lucky 21 in the family: Brother (Great Uncle) Bill's birthday is November 21.

So for the three of us, it'll be easy to remember each other's celebratory day. Now, if we can just remember the month . . .

Let's hear it for everyone born on the 21st of whatever month!

Liam's First Easter

Which I had to miss, by the way. Sigh. But here are pictures of his first Easter. Such a cute little Easter egg!

Rumor has it that Liam missed most of the Easter service, preferring instead to bounce around in his daddy's arms outside. Oh, well. He has years of church services ahead of him! Happy Easter!

Dogwoods, mite boxes, Cadbury Eggs, and ukeleles

Try explaining Easter to a little kid. I tried once when Kate was 4-years-old and knew I'd failed miserably when her big blue eyes got even bigger and she said "Oooh! A ghost story!" Sigh. Christmas is sooo much easier to talk about. Even a little child can understand the birth of a new baby, eh? But this raising-from-the-dead thing is a tough one to sell to, well, lots of people, but certainly to a youngster.

So we build Easter traditions and trust - we hope - that if the kid hears the story enough times s/he'll grow into it (OK, maybe four was a little young for the resurrection part). GrandBoy's Easter traditions will be set in motion by his parents and family, his church family, and perhaps some friends. He's a wee boy on his first Easter, and those traditions will start tomorrow for him.

But when his mama was growing up, her Easter traditions involved:

• new clothes, usually with a hat of some kind
• mite boxes (for an Easter offering) full of so many coins that they had to be taped up to hold them together
• dogwoods (and whatever other spring flowers we had in the yard on Easter morn) to flower the cross at church
• a crazy priest with a ukelele leading the congregation in a round of "God Is A Surprise" (Your mama will teach it to you, Liam.)
• the wild and woolly race to find the Cadbury Eggs at the annual chaotic family Easter egg hunt (Cousin Mikey was ruthless where those Cadbury Eggs were concerned, as I recall.) 
• Honey Baked Ham. Mmm-mmm. (And one year we watched the film Babe after lunch. I know. Sick family.)

Until GrandBoy is old enough to understand the deeper meaning of Easter, lots of lovely traditions will lay a foundation for him. Not very theological, I'll admit (especially the new clothes/Cadbury Egg part), but it'll have to do for now.

Happy Easter to all! God is a surprise!

Happy Keester!

A little light-hearted Easter message. Thank GrandMary's brother and your great-uncle Bill for this one, Liam!

ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

• Don't put all of your eggs in one basket
• Walk softly and carry a big carrot
• Everyone needs a friend who is all ears
• There's no such thing as too much candy
• All work and no play can make you a basket case
• A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention
• Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day
• Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits
• Some body parts should be floppy
• Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans
• Good things come in small sugar-coated packages
• The grass is always greener in someone else's basket 
• An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare
• To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell
• The best things in life are still sweet and gooey !!

Happy Easter, GrandBoy!