Counting Down for MetaDaddy

This week has been a struggle. MetaDaddy's out of town on business, so it's just the kid and me. Sigh.

Here's what's happened:

• We've been getting over a cold, which mostly entails labored breathing, some sneezing, and snot everywhere. I know, lovely visual.
  
  
• We decided to change MetaBaby's sleep schedule last week by dropping one nap. It's going pretty well, as long as he gets that one good nap. Unfortunately, he doesn't always work with me on that one.
  
  
• We got a safety gate that divided the living room in half to block him off from certain areas, while allowing him some freedom. We didn't want a permanent gate, though, so we secured a non-mounted gate which doesn't have a door. It's just low enough for me to climb over. However, getting over it several times a day has proved to be quite a workout. I've been waking up sore as though I went to the gym. I know, I know...no pain, no gain. Well, I wasn't looking for gain, so along with everything else, all I am is sore and achy.
  
  
• Yesterday (Thursday), MetaBaby got sick. It started in the afternoon after lunch. He didn't have a very long nap. He was cranky when he woke up. He seemed exhausted, and had a slight fever. I cuddled and nursed him for a bit. Then I got his dinner ready, which he didn't seem interested in. This was a red flag; he has never refused a meal. I gave him a few bites of his fruit dessert to entice him, and he seemed equally disinterested. He then drank some water and proceeded to throw up everything he'd eaten. I gave him his bath, nursed him (which I never do before he sleeps), and put him to bed. He fell asleep right away, but it was a light sleep. I checked on him a couple of times and his fever was almost gone, to my relief. However, at 11 it was back. So I woke him, gave him some Tylenol, and nursed him again. He fell asleep and woke up at 7:30, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He seems fine today; back to being a bundle of energy. I don't know if it was teething, the banana at lunch, or some secretly consumed bug, but I'm glad it's over.
  
  
• Feeling better about his health, we were going to go to the farmers' market today. Everything was ready, but I couldn't find my wallet. I know I had it in my hand last night and unless I thew it away with the garbage, it had to be somewhere. I thought I'd put it in my purse, but it wasn't there. I looked everywhere -- purse, diaper bag, between cushions, in magazines, in pockets & the hamper, in the washing machine & dryer. Eventually, I gave up and we went with some other money I had. I figured I was getting antsy and I wouldn't find it until I calmed down. We got back and MetaBaby was exhausted, so I put him down for his nap. I proceeded to think and look...think and look...think and look. It occurred to me that if I lose things now, how bad are things going to be when MetaBaby starts taking and playing with or hiding my keys, wallet, etc. Then, on a whim, I decided to check his toys. Guess where my wallet was!!! Grr. At least I found it, and I know the little klepto has it in him.

Counting down the hours for MetaDaddy's return.

Remember Your Daily Vitamin?

I always aim to take my daily vitamin, and I try to get my husband to take his, too. But it's hard! When we were both working, I would take both out and leave his on the counter next to his coffee. On his more cooperative days, the vitamin would vanish. That said, sometimes I would forget if I took the vitamins out. I would second-guess myself and I became really paranoid because I didn't want to take 2 vitamins daily.


My solution:
Every Sunday, I put one vitamin for each of us in each compartment of a 7-day pill organizer. I stored it in the cupboard next to the mugs, so we remembered when reaching for that all important first cup of coffee. Going forward, I always knew if I took my vitamin that day. And for that matter, I knew if I should remind him to take his :-)

Unfortunately, this is no longer a safe option for us. Toddlers and kids can get into 7-day pill organizers easily, which can be very dangerous. We'll have to go back to using the childproof bottles the vitamins came in and devise some new scheme to remember whether or not we took our vitamins.

Any suggestions welcome!!

Babyproofing Away from Home

When you visit someone's home with your infant or toddler, it can be a bit of a challenge to keep your little one safe, especially if you're staying overnight. For example, visiting his grandparent's home is a wonderful opportunity to share some quality time and create that family bonding that kids need. However, grandparents who don't have kids over often might unknowingly have some dangers in the home. It's not necessarily cheap or easy to babyproof a home, and if you're going for a short stay, it's probably not worth the time and expense. I found this list at EHow on how to quickly babyproof your home. There are some pretty good ideas here that are just common sense. For example, move plants, medications, vitamins, and delicate/breakable things out of reach. Also, close the front door and doors throughout the house (especially the bathroom door -- and lower the toilet lid). I might add that if there are breakable things, secure them with museum putty; it'll save breakables in the event of earthquakes, toddlers, and naturally clumsy people. You might also consider masking or invisible tape to cover outlets and tie up curtain cords. And from personal experience, keep floor lamps (and all other tall, lightweight items) out of reach so your walking wonder doesn't try to pull himself up with it.

Whatever you do, don't get carried away. All the safety measures in the world don't compare to a set of watchful eyes. And if you're visiting family, odds are everyone is going to be doting after your little one, which limits the amount of trouble s/he can get into.

A Missing Babyproofing Tip

Keeping your home baby-safe is tough. And there are so, so, so many gadgets to help you do it. There are lists all over the internet with tips on how to keep your home safe (e.g., here, here, and here (via CFO)).

I just have one thing to say. In all of my reading and talking and listening and sharing and watching, I have never heard anyone say "close your dishwasher completely." Perhaps everyone does it and I'm the only spaz, but I don't always shut the dishwasher door completely so that it clicks. And when you have a little toddler who's learning to walk by leaning and pulling on anything and everything, guess what! He's going to support himself against it and fall backwards in slow motion, giving both himself and his poor MetaMommy enough time to have an attack at the thought of the soon to form lump on the back of his sweet and precious little head.

So, close your dishwashers completely.

Note: MetaBaby was not harmed in the making of this post. While he did fall, he first fell on his well padded tushie, and then backwards, so he was fine. He got my blood running, though. That's always exciting!

Counter Ant-ivity

I…can’t…stand…bugs

I’m an equal opportunity bug detester. Here, I most commonly find silverfish, spiders, and ants. The last one is currently bugging me. Yes, I said bugging.

We live in a 3-story condo with the primary living area, kitchen, and a bathroom on the second floor. One day, we found an ant casually exiting the bathroom. We haven’t seen an ant in ages, but it's been warm lately, and that’s usually when the trouble starts. I spent a good while following what turned out to be a sparse trail of ants into the bathroom in hopes of finding their source of entry. Eventually, I found it. A teeny little opening between the wall and the … I don’t know what you’d call it … built-in vanity? OK. That was the hard part. I then went off to mix some ground cinnamon and cayenne (a tip from Green Clean), and sprinkled it at the entry point. It stopped them…until they realized they can walk on walls. Dangit! So, they went up and started investigating the sink and various other spots. I got creative. I added a bit of water to the remaining cinnamon and cayenne and pasted it 360 degrees around their access point. Done. No more ants in the bathroom.

Then, an ant appeared in the kitchen, which happens to share a wall with the bathroom in question. Ugh. I could not find their entry point this time. I was diligent in cleaning and when I found one, I’d smoosh it in hopes of being more stubborn than the ants. Well, I’m stubborn, but I’m no match. Eventually, I got sloppy. I ate a nectarine, the tiniest fleck of nectarine fell into the sink, and I forgot to clean it up. When I came back a couple of hours later, a steady stream of ants had now invaded.

Can you hear the Patton music in the background?

Well, it was a blessing and a curse. The "ewww" factor was high, but at least I could finally find out where they were coming from. We have dark granite countertops, so I couldn’t see the ants very well. I grabbed a flashlight, and I was able to follow the ants all the way across the sink, across the one wall, across the other wall, down the cabinets to the floor…BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR. So, I can’t reach them. The fridge is nicely nestled in and there’s no way we’ll be able to move it without causing severe damage to the kitchen or one of us. So I just sprinkled cinnamon and cayenne all over the counter instead. My husband probably thinks I’ve gone all Bill Murray in Caddyshack, but if it works, who’s gonna be laughing? Who, I tell ya?

That said, I did some research and found various non-toxic methods of dealing with ants. If my current path doesn’t work, I’ll just try something else. Cuz stubborn is as stubborn does.

• The consensus from The Frugal Life's comments is that ants hate cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaves, and pepper, so if you sprinkle any of these around or at their access point, they will be deterred. If you don’t want the mess, consider JS Online's suggestion of adding peppermint oil, cintronella oil, lavendar oil, cinnamon oil, or citrus oil to some water and spraying as needed.


• They also won’t cross a line drawn in chalk.


• We had an ant problem a while back because my cat’s wet food was left out for random grazing purposes. We solved it by creating a mote around her dish. In a larger bowl (though not so big that she couldn’t reach), we added water, then placed half a brick in the center. We placed the dish on the brick. Problem solved.


• Since they don’t like mint, consider keeping fresh mint in certain places around the house. It’s pretty, smells good, makes for yummy treats, and keeps you ant free.


• Boric acid is another interesting solution. It is toxic, but like many things, only in large quantities. In fact, you might find it’s an ingredient in your contact lens solution. Getting the solution right is tough, and it varies by the type of ant (some like sweet, like like grease). This website suggests a solution of one cup water, 2 cups sugar, and 2 tablespoons boric acid. Whatever the solution, they say that goal is to make it strong enough to kill, but not so strong that it kills the foragers before they deliver the food to the queen.

Note: I have only tried the cayenne & cinnamon mix and the pet food mote. I make no claims on any of these methods, but let me know if you try any and they work. Or if you have any other good bug solutions.

Downgrading Your Cleaning Supplies – Save Money & the Environment

Check out a guest post I wrote on Free Money Finance titled "Downgrading Your Cleaning Supplies – Save Money & the Environment."

Getting Locked Out

It was a fine spring day. We were up to our usual tricks...eating, napping, errands, playing, and so forth. I set all wee 20 lbs of him in his playpen for a minute while I went downstairs, keys in hand. I set them down as I got to the bottom of the stairs, but then I remembered I hadn't gotten the mail yet. So, I go outside, shut the door behind me...AND HAD A PANIC ATTACK!!!

Yes, the keys were on the stairs, and our door automatically locks. I didn't have my phone, which is the only way I know anyone's phone number any more. My husband was on a plane returning from a business trip. I knew this would happen one day, but honestly, I hoped it wouldn't. I realized I had to calm down and think it through. My son was in the playpen, so he was safe. I just had to get back in there before he realized I was gone and went into meltdown mode. I ran around the block to a local cafe and asked to borrow a phone and phone book. They didn't really want to give it over until I explained my situation, and only then with hesitation. Had they been scammed by panicked women looking to borrow a phone to call a locksmith? Did I really look like a threat? All 5 feet of me?

So, an employee lends me his cell phone and a phone book and I start looking for locksmiths who do emergency calls. The first one is on a call, but recommends another place. That second place said they could be over in 10 minutes. OMG!!! I return the phone and hightail it back to wait for the locksmith. Years later, he shows up (I'm sure it was no more than 10 minutes, but try and explain that to me in the moment) and he gets to work. The front door is a challenge, and we suspect the sliding door will be as well. So after 10 minutes of trying differnt things, he says we either have to try the back door, or take out the drills. I think he saw the pained look on my face, and I wondered "did I tell him there's a baby in there? I know I mentioned it to a lot of people, but was he one." So I say, holding back tears, "my son's in there." Now, he has a pained look on his face. I guess I hadn't told him. We go to the back door, he jumps the gate, and he's in within 30 seconds. He opens the front door and I run upstairs to see a crying little face. He had fallen asleep it seems until he heard the commotion.

I happily paid and tipped the locksmith and thanked him profusely, all the while holding my son tighter and tighter. Maybe subconsciously I was trying to make up for something? Or maybe I just didn't want to let go for fear of getting separated again. Either way, I didn't let go of him for a good while after that.

I'm reminded of this agonizing experience because of a recent post on Baby Toolkit. Getting locked out was hard for me, but at least I knew he was safe. After being on the fence about getting a playpen for him, I would recommend one to anyone simply for safety purposes. If you have to walk away or worse, you know he'll be safe. That's one less thing to panic about. The post goes into getting locked out of a car. That's a whole new level of panic. She gives some great info on what to do and what not to do. Most importantly, don't panic because you just can't think straight. Besides that, just keep the baby's best interest in mind...if you have to call 911, that's what they're there for. And as a preventative measure, hold your keys in your hand until you're in the drivers' seat. Seriously, the minute you set them down, they will get forgotten. Even my idiot-proof Jetta has almost locked me out (almost!).

Good Luck!

Babyproofing Saga

When my son started rolling over on his own, I knew it was the beginning of the end for us. No longer could we know that he'd be where we left him. Not to say that we leave him, but there's something watching his budding mobility that makes me uneasy. So, we obviously must babyproof. We've done a few small things (e.g., outlet covers), but the bigger things are more challenging.

There's a great company in the area called Family First. For a reasonable fee, they'll come out and inspect your home for child safety and give you a list of the things you should secure. You can avoid the fee all together if you have them install a minimum of $150 at the time of the visit. We had someone come out and it was really educational, though we haven't yet followed through with everything on the list.

More recently, his crawling expeditions have lead him to the volume control knob. So we found Hastings Plastics, a store nearby that cuts plastic to specifications. They cut me a 45"x14" piece of plexiglass, sanded down the edges & corners, and drilled holes in it for a total of $22. I took it home and hooked it onto the table with the cable ties, and the power struggle has ended...for now.

Speaking of babyproofing, I would be remiss if I didn't mention David Keeps' LA Times article The Kids are Alright where he interviews parents who are unwilling to sacrifice style in order to turn their home into a playhouse for junior.

Some parents compare the safety gadgets, or lack thereof, from their childhood and point out that they simply had to learn limits. "Back then, Capobianco recalls, the bowl of hazelnuts and a heavy metal nutcracker in her childhood family room were not considered a choking hazard or a broken finger waiting to happen." I might go one step further and ask how kids of parents who can't afford the plethora of safety gadgets survive today. I'm guessing just fine.

Andrew Baseman, the set decorator of the film "The Nanny Diaries" (how appropriate), commented that "All the Alexanders and Ashleys who stay up until 11 o'clock and are allowed to draw on the walls because their parents put up vinyl wallpaper are going to end up in therapy because they don't know what's appropriate."

We want to give our son the opportunity to learn and explore without feeling that we're endangering him, but we also feel that kids are much smarter than some adults give them credit for. As he matures, he understands and communicates more and more. In turn, we want to communicate with him more instead of treating him like a wild puppy.