Blustery Beach Day

This week, fall started. Maybe not on the calendar, but certainly in the weather. Yesterday, waves were 4-7 feet at the beach, water temp was 50, and people were warned against going out on the pier. Video proved it to be beautiful, albeit treacherous. Today was supposed to be similar, but less windy, with waves between 3-4 feet. Perfect.

So I toted Isaac and Audrey out to Holland State Park. Gorgeous. And the wind was enough to warrant a jacket, but not so biting that a hood was required. Those are the best fall beach days. I took loads of pictures, which I just finished loading onto the computer. I haven't sorted through them all, but I did come across this one, which begged to be shared.



I'll post more pics when I have time, just to share the beauty of Lake Michigan with those who can't see it anymore (or those who can't as often as they wish).

Puddles, pants, and priorities

So many times this summer, Isaac has wanted to splash through puddles, because what kid doesn't? I often would get frustrated that his pants and shoes would get all wet and nasty. Even though I was the one to introduce him to the joy of splashing.

Last night, arriving home from our walk, we noticed a very large puddle on our front walk. He ran up to it, but stopped when I asked him not to jump in. Then I questioned the harm. Would it really hurt anything? Isn't that why we have a washing machine, to clean up the messes we make on our clothes.

So Isaac and I hopped in. Of course we got soaked, and we got dirty, but the look on his face was worth it all. We weren't even out there for very long, but what an evening.

Polls

Did you know that I have a poll in my sidebar? What other fun stuff would you like to see there?

Diaper free?

As a mother who is tired of diapers already, I had to at least look into the theories behind "elimination communication," a term used to describe going diaper-free with babies as young as two months. I realized pretty quickly that those who buy into the philosophy are quacks. Then I discovered this commentary. I think Bec in particular will find it funny.

Some mornings, when I sit down to read the paper, I get so aggravated I choke on my coffee.

That's what happened this week, when I came across a story touting the latest trend in parenting: the "diaper-free" movement. It seems that well-meaning but completely insane parents have decided that their babies, from the moment of birth, don't really need diapers. Babies, even newborns, can tell us when they need to use the bathroom, these parents feel, through body language. All you have to do is watch your baby 24/7, look for that kind of tensed-up look on their cherubic little face, and then rush over and hold them over the toilet like a colander of spaghetti being drained into a sink.

Thinking this was a joke, I decided to do a little research on the subject (well, in reality, I just looked at a few websites, but these days that qualifies as research). This movement may not be widespread yet, but it's growing, with a philosophy and a unique lingo in which everyday terms are replaced with fancy new terminology. For example, one of the basic tenets of the diaper free movement is the practice of "elimination communication" (known for years as "looking like you gotta go"). People who master the art of elimination communication are known as "EC'ers" (formerly "folks with too much time on their hands"). When your baby goes in the wrong place, such as their pants, your car, or the neighbor's front porch, it's called a "miss." When they go in the right place, it's called a "catch." (Let's pause for a second while we all wait for the creepy implications of that one to pass, OK?)

Caregivers who practice EC are encouraged to master "cueing," which involves making sounds to indicate to Junior what it is, exactly, you want him to do. Suggestions: "Pssst!" for No. 1, or "Ugh!" for the alternative.

Real parenting experts, the type with degrees, point out that children under the age of 16 months not only have no idea how to tell you they have to go, they're not always sure they're the one who did it. Parents of newborns: Just watch your baby after they've gone (or "missed," to be up to date). For a few minutes, he'll look around, wondering what just happened. Sometimes he'll look at you suspiciously, wondering if you're the one who ruined the atmosphere in his baby room.

The promoters of this movement point out that for ages and ages, humans have raised children without the use of diapers, and I suppose they're right. But human history is chock full of people doing idiotic stuff right up until someone came along and invented a solution. The earliest humans only ate "ABC" meat: animals that had already been chewed by something else, like a saber tooth tiger. Then someone invented the spear, which provided fresh meat. For years after that, they ate everything raw, squatting over their kill, until someone came up with the idea of taking the meat home and cooking it. Finally, someone invented the cheeseburger. My point is, I don't hear anyone saying, "Hey, want to go back to eating decaying carcasses?"

I know that modern diapers take up a lot of space in landfills and are made up of petrochemicals that never biodegrade. Ten thousand years from now, archeologists will dig up those landfills, take one whiff and decide to quit being archeologists. But we have to think of the environmental consequences of going diaper free, as well. Just think of those same landfills piled high with carpets, sofas, easy chairs and clothing, all ruined by babies who have gone "commando" without fully mastering the art of elimination communication.

. . .

All my own kids, unless they decide to become murderous astronauts, have put on their last diaper. But if you do decide to go diaper free with your baby, and I come over to visit, please don't ask me if I want to hold Junior.

And I'm probably not sitting on your sofa, either.

Really profound post

One of the verses to "Wheels On the Bus" sings, "The baby on the bus says 'Waah! Waaah! Waah!'" But every time there is an illustration accompanying the song, be it CD artwork, a book, or even a toy that sings, the bus depicted is a school bus. When do you ever see babies on school buses?

Outback rocks!

Apparently, takeaway orders can now be placed online! I love the internet, and even better, businesses that use it wisely. I'll be eating a Blooming Onion in 1/2 hour. Yum!

Life is precious

I have been a member of a parenting message board for close to three years now. It's an online venue for advice, frustration venting, discussion of news, and basically friendship. Some of the girls have been there longer than I, others not so long, but still, I know many of them better than I know real life friends and even family.

Friday night, one of the girls lost her daughter in an accident. Her daughter was one week younger than Isaac. I bawled for a family that I've never met. Monte doesn't understand how I can care so much. No family should have to experience that pain.

So now, when I'm feeling frustrated with my kids, I remind myself that I have them around. So I hug them and tell them I love them a little more than normal, and also in place of yelling.