Passing Time While Pregnant

While we wait as patiently as possible for our new baby to join us on the outside, my son and I are having fun at home, finding ways to pass the time.

Last night I had the intense urge to make crafts. So, when my husband got home from work, my son and I went to spend 2 1/2 hours at the craft store. We stocked up on all kinds of great supplies that should keep us busy. It's been a whole day now, and I am still hoping the urge was my version of nesting. I LOVE to clean so I cannot tell by those urges. Seriously, it thrills me to clean my bathroom. I am a freak of nature, or so I've been told. Anyway, we came home armed with crafting supplies.

Today, I made my first "no sew fleece blanket" for my daughter. This year, I've decided, is the year I will finally buy a sewing machine and take up sewing. There are so many things I want to make that require sewing skills. However, since I am due to have a baby at any moment, I do not think right now is the best time to take it up. A couple months from now I will. To pacify, I went the no sew route and made a cute blanket for her to enjoy whenever she decides to come out. While I made that, my son painted the birdhouse he bought.



Then I got a frozen package in the mail, so my son and I spent about 30 minutes playing with some dry ice. I've never owned any of the stuff before, so it was great fun for me too.





Best of all perhaps, was getting my Thirsties Duo diaper covers in the mail. They were the final pieces to our cloth diapering collection. I am going through cloth diapering withdrawals since my son is now potty trained. I love cloth diapering like I love cleaning my bathroom! Weeee, I get to do it full time again any day now.


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Potty Training While Pregnant

I'd like to start this off by saying I am 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I honestly feel like I will be pregnant forever, and she isn't showing any signs at all that she is ready to come out. I await her arrival in MUCH anticipation.

On the note of being pregnant, I came up with a wonderful realization a few weeks back. Our son is just over 2 and 1/2 right now. I think the age gap of our children is fairly average, yet still, many people have told us how close in age they are, or even how we should have waited longer (as if what we do with our lives has anything to do with them). Nonetheless, during my pregnancy, our son has been in potty training stage.

So, what I realize is that potty training while pregnant is the BEST ever! My son has to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes, and at every place we visit. Guess what? So do I. Recently, he has started getting up in the middle of the night to go pee, sometimes twice. Guess what? I get up every two hours to pee myself, so it works. It's been great because I hate how often I have to go and I will find myself holding it, which isn't good. But when my son says he's gotta go.... well, we go. Since we are already there I relieve myself as well. Thank you son. He hasn't peed in a diaper at all for almost two weeks now, and #2, that has been months.

We've been fortunate our son has done most all this work on his own. I had to teach him what to do initially and then teach him about pulling his pants down. That's about it. The rest was all him. He's so easy and awesome, I can only pray our second is the same. But at the rate she's going (still stubbornly stuck inside me) I am getting slightly discouraged.


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WinkyDinks and a New "Ennie"

Yet another productive day has passed while I am still pregnant. She is due in just two days, but thankfully, I have been getting so much accomplished here at the end.

After a nice lunch with my son and my brother-in-law, we stopped and got my son a new "Ennie". Previously mentioned, his betta fish died after 3 days, so we are trying a regular fancy goldfish. The day after his fish died, he said he wanted to get a new, yellow Ennie. So, that worked in my favor as I wanted to get him a goldfish instead of another betta. (Which is what I originally went to the pet store for, but hubby felt a betta was cooler.)

Picked up the replacement part for the toilet that we've been needing desperately.

Then we came home and I was excited to have gotten my WinkyDinks fleece cover in the mail. I've been so thrilled about it since I not only LOVE cloth diapers... but I won this in a contest on the Etsy cloth diapers blog. I have won two contests this whole year and I never win anything, so I'm all stoked about it.

On a last note, I've felt... interesting.... all day. I hope this means she's coming into the world this weekend.

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Natural Mouth Care

More natural products for you today. This time, mainly for the mouth. I made a mouthwash, two different toothpastes, and a little off subject, a facial skin toner.


Although I am all for being fully natural in what you eat and use on your body, I'll certainly admit I am not one to do it 100%. Toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner are three things I haven't found a good replacement for when it comes to the store bought, chemical filled stuff.

• First up: Mint Tooth Gel

This was fun to make, because I felt like I was really making toothpaste, instead of just mixing a couple things together. However, it didn't do much for my breath. It's a soft and very gentle gel that is wonderful for sensitive teeth (like my 2 year old's). Even with it's minty flavor, it certainly isn't strong enough to combat bad breath.

Step 1: In a heat-resistant bowl, pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves. Let steep until cool. Strain into small saucepan.

Step 2: Stir in 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. Bring mixture to boil, then allow to cool completely. Stir ingredients well. (You might want to add a touch more cornstarch for a thicker consistency)

Step 3: Put gel into a small clean container, with a tight fitting lid.

• Next up: Cinnamon Baking Soda Toothpaste

This one is certainly designed more for the bacteria in one's mouth. I still have a hard time getting past the taste of the baking soda, even with cinnamon mixed in. It made my mouth feel more clean than the mint gel did, but I don't think I'll be happy with my breath if I use this exclusively. (Personally, even though I do it twice a day, I hate brushing my teeth. Therefore, a really good flavor is extremely important to me)

Step 1: Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small jar.

Step 2: Add enough water to make a paste. (about 2 teaspoons)

• Clove Mouth Rinse

This one, I'm loving. As picky as I am with my mouth and breath, I never use mouthwash because they are all too strong for me, even watered down. Since I've never been into mouthwash I haven't tried that many natural ones. This stuff though, is gentle enough for my mouth, and I actually feel like it makes my mouth fresh.

Step 1: Place 2 Tablespoons of whole cloves in a heat-resistant bowl. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over them and let steep until cool.

Step 2: Strain into a clean container with a lid and place by your sink for daily use.

• Finally, the Lemon Face Toner

My judging on this one may not be good right now. I went through teenage hood with perfect skin, then adult acne hit me. I think it's hormone related, and I mainly feel this way due to the fact that with both my pregnancies, my face cleared up beautifully. So, as I am currently pregnant, my face is pretty normal. I will have to come back and comment should my acne return.

Step 1: Combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 Tablespoons witch hazel, and 2 Tablespoons water into a bottle with a tight fitting lid and shake. (I recommend more water if you have sensitive skin)

Step 2: Apply with clean cotton ball and follow with light moisturizer.



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All recipes taken from"EcoBeauty" Copyright 2009 Lauren Cox and Janice Cox

Wipes Solution and Laundry Soap

Today's homemade crafts consisted of an all natural powdered laundry soap and a wipes solution for our cloth diaper wipes. Making your own products can be fun and addicting. It's so nice to know what ingredients are in your products.

The laundry soap came out to be about $4.75 for 30 loads. Which is only a quarter (plus tax) cheaper than the detergent I have been using. However, what we get in return is where we really save money. No harsh chemicals, three simple and natural ingredients, and a fun time spent with my son.

Step 1: find a bar of soap you like. All natural, hard milled is probably the best. I was able to find some good smelling, and surprisingly natural, bars of soap at the 99Cent store. Grate the soap into flakes (or curls :) ) This is where my son had a blast. He enjoyed watching the bar turn into a pile of flakes. He kept telling me I was, "Doing great job, Mama".

Step 2: Assuming you have a large container (like my pickle jar) add 6 cups of soap flakes (this was 2 bars for me) 6 cups of washing soda (or sodium carbonate) [I actually used baking soda because I couldn't find the washing soda] and 3 cups of borax. Shake it up, or let your kids shake it up to mix well.

Step 3: Use 1/2 cup in each large load. This is a great formula for hard water. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to your rise cycle (to freshen and soften) and you have yourself an all natural laundry regimen.

How about that wipe solution? We've been using cloth wipes for the last two years, the same amount of time we have been using cloth diapers. We tried a few brands before I finally found the Kissaluvs brand "Awesome Knit Terry" wipes and fell head over heels in love. They are the perfect size, texture, thickness, and durability. One thing I have never done though, is use a wipe solution. We just stuck to water. With the new baby due any day, I wanted to finally try a solution and see how it goes. A little extra cleaning power isn't a bad thing as we head back to those poopy diapers. Here's the recipe I chose.

Step 1: Find a container big enough to hold your wipes, and place the clean wipes inside. (I found a neat plastic container with a latching lid at Target, and it holds all 24 of our Kissaluvs wipes perfectly, when the solution is added)

Step 2: In a gallon container (with a lid) mix together 8 cups of warm water, 1/2 cup light oil (I used a safflower vitamin e blend), 1/2 cup baby shampoo, 3 TBS aloe vera gel, 32 drops lavender essential oil, 16 drops tea tree essential oil. Put on lid, shake well.

Step 3: Pour in just enough of this solution to saturate your wipes and try not to leave any sitting in the bottom of the container. Store the rest of the solution in the fridge for when you need to soak more wipes (remember to shake first). Keep the tub of wipes in a cool dry place to avoid mold and mildew, and rest easy knowing exactly what you are wiping on your little ones bum. They smell amazing BTW.

With both of these household crafts, and any other you make, slap on a cute label and you're ready to go. You can make fun art out of your label, give your creation a cute name, and add a list of ingredients to look at proudly every time you use the product. I like to do a search for product specific clipart and add the cute graphics to my labels. Print them on regular (or recycled) printer paper and attach with clear packing tape to protect and water proof your label)


Go natural! It's fun for everyone.

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Barbasol Really Works

I have always wanted to try that Barbasol trick to keep mirrors from getting foggy. We keep a squeegee under our bathroom mirror for after our very hot showers that fog the whole place up. This does the trick for a second, then it's foggy again. And should I ever want to get ready while my Husband showers... no way I could see anything. So today, I finally tried the ol' $1 Barbasol trick.

I took my 2 year old into the bathroom and had him stand on the counter top (while I held him safely to prevent falls). I squirt some of the shaving foam on the mirror and let him go to town. He "painted" the whole mirror with the foam and had a blast. I helped him out and had some fun myself. I think I used way too much, but I made it work. When we were done with the paint fest, I wiped off all the cream, then buffed it dry. I saw a slight greasy residue, but nothing too bad. I was anxious to take a shower and test the stuff out.

Not only do I take hot showers, but we have extremely poor ventilation, so the bathroom mirror is ALWAYS foggy during and after our showers. Tonight, NOTHING! It was amazing to see perfectly clear, as if the shower wasn't even on. This is a trick for the books. The best part is, you can find it at most dollar stores, and a little will go a long way.

I've also heard of people using in on car windows during the winter, also to prevent fogging.



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His First Pet Came and Went

My son loves animals. He loves to see them in real life, in books, on TV, you name it. He can name them, tell you what sound they make, and most of the time he can also tell you what they look like. Naturally, I wanted to give him the joy of having a pet of his own. We haven't had a pet in over a year, and now he's really able to understand pets anyway.

So, I'm not ready for cats, as I still mourn my own who died just over a year ago. We don't live in a place large enough for a dog. What that leaves is caged animals. I wanted to start simple and low maintenance.... a fish.

We head on over to the pet store to get our son a goldfish. I was expecting the simple feeder fish to be about a dollar. To my excitement thy were only 17 cents! WOWEE! However, as we gathered supplies for this fish and tried to get my son to pick out the fish he wanted, my husband decided a betta fish would be better. The problem is, I have bad luck with bettas. Why? I have no clue! But for some reason they die on me real quick. I warned my husband of this, but we also had the benefit of our friend giving us all the details of how to care for it, since she works there. I gave in and said, "Fine, let's try a betta." And we brought home "Ennie", the blue betta.

This was Thursday night. I cleaned out the bowl and supplies without soap like the directions stated. I added water conditioner to make it clean (and the right amount too). I floated the fish in his bag for a while before I transferred him to the bowl. Things seemed fine. Friday I tried to give it food. Just enough, but it didn't eat. The bowl wasn't sitting in sunlight, and the temperature was fine. Saturday, we were gone all day.

Today, Sunday morning, the fish is on it's side, with a slight "film" on his body. He was alive though, we tried to move him and he swam away fast. Water was clean, everything seemed fine, but he proceeded to do this all day. Finally, this evening.... he floated to the bottom and was officially dead. I have no clue what happened, what went wrong, what I did.... but I'm sad. I told my husband I couldn't keep betta fish alive and I wish I knew why because I feel so guilty now. Guilty for the fish's life, and guilty that my son's first pet, even though short lived, died already. Third betta I've had in my life. Shortest amount of time to die.

I hate to waste all the money for the bowl and supplies, so I am thinking this week we will try to get a goldfish and see how that goes. Those, I have had better luck with. If it dies too, then I'm switching to rodents. Rodents are my thing, but the husband doesn't like them. On the other hand, I hate feeling like a fishes life seems almost disposable. "Oh, just get another". It's still a precious soul and I tried to love it and care for it.


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Homemade Cleaning Supplies

Making your own household cleaning supplies is actually very easy, MUCH healthier for everyone, and almost always cheaper. How could you go wrong with all that?

In a previous entry this week, I talked about Inboxdollars.com and how I was making money with it by reading emails, signing up for offers, and taking surveys. I signed up for four separate book clubs through the Inbox Dollars website. Each with great introductory prices and each earning me $10 for signing up through I.D..

One of these book clubs was Home Style Books, offering great books to help you around the house and home. Tons of categories are covered. One of the books I chose is titled, "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier. When I added it to my list, I was thinking, "I've already got so many recipes for homemade cleaners, I've been making a few of my own for a while now, but I guess a collection of recipes via book, won't be bad. Especially priced at only 50 cents as an introductory offer." So, I added it to my list. It took me two days to go through it all as I marked all the (many) cleaners I wanted to try right away. Today, I took some time to make and do a few of the cleaners and tips from the book. This book has been more amazing than all the simple recipes I have already added to my collection. I could throw out all my saved cleaning recipes, keep this book, and never need anything else to help me naturally clean my home and stay green. And I just might. It also has a great section on the car, which I will excitedly go through when I am no longer pregnant and can tackle the task of thoroughly washing my extra large van.

What I made today was

• A bathroom cleaner
• A kitchen cleaner
• An herbal scouring scrub
• A carpet deodorizer
• A deep cleaning carpet foam

The simple tips I tried today were

• Add a few drops of an essential oil to the inside cardboard tube of your toilet paper roll for a burst of air freshener with every use.
• Add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to a small cotton cloth and toss in in the dryer to freshen clothes. Can be used 2-3 times adding 2-3 drops each time. Then just wash and start over.
• Add 4-5 drops of essential oil to a slice of bread and place in the refrigerator to soak up odors.
• Hung a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in my closet.

The house smelled like a lovely herb garden as I made these things. Of course, it also makes me feel wonderful to know I am not adding more chemicals to our indoor air, saving our bodies, our air quality, and the Earth.

I only made cleaners I had the ingredients for already. I will make more after I visit the store. However, until then, I will add the recipes to each cleaner I made today, following this blog. Make them and enjoy them like I am.

For great looking jars, create a fancy label on your computer, print them out and attach to your containers with some clear packing tape to protect them.


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Bathroom Cleaner

"Germs-Be-Gone Toilet Cleaner"

This antibacterial spray cleaner is especially formulated for cleaning the general surface of the toilet, and under and behind the seat.

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap
• 1 tablespoon tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle and shake well. Spray on toilet surfaces and wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.


Copyright 2008 "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn-Siegel-Maier


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Kitchen Cleaner

"Lemon Blast Cleaner"

This solution is great for refrigerators and stove tops.

• 1 teaspoon liquid castile soap
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 6 drops citrus seed extract **I skipped this**
• 4 drops lemon, lime, orange, or eucalyptus essential oil **I used eucalyptus**
• 1 teaspoon borax

Combine all ingredients in a plastic spray bottle Shake well before each use. Spray generously on appliance surface and wipe with damp cloth or sponge. Wipe dry with a cloth or towel.

Copyright 2008 "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier


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Carpet Deodorizer

"Simple Rug & Carpet Deodorizer"

Pets and bare feet can cause a rather funky smell. This formula leaves your carpets looking and smelling fresh again.

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 10 drops juniper essential oil
• 5 drops cypress essential oil

Combine the ingredients in a plastic bowl. Add essential oils and mix well, breaking up clumps. Sprinkle the mixture over the carpet and wait several hours, overnight is possible, before vacuuming.

Copyright 2008 "The Naturally Clean Home" by Karyn Siegel-Maier


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My Peaceful Mother's Day

Mother's Day has seen more exciting times, even in my short history of being a mom. However, this one was exactly how I wanted it, and therefore, perfect. Sometimes those days without plans turn out to be some of the happiest ones. This was certainly one of those days. Being 9 months pregnant, I couldn't do much of anything too exciting anyway.

We relaxed a good half day. I spent a couple hours on the couch with my Husband, going through all his music and taking any I wanted that for some reason, I didn't have. We both have our own laptops now, so sometimes I miss out on songs when he uploads them to Zune. All came through except the ONE I really wanted. "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Bad Company Go figure. Must try again asap.

We got ready and picked up some fast food, which didn't make me feel very good about myself, but it was pretty tasty. We took it to a nice, secluded, and very toddler friendly, park that we had yet to visit. Stoner Park in West L.A. has been cleaned up real nice and is a great small and semi private park to visit. I mainly sat there eating most of the time, while my Husband played with our Son. I enjoyed seeing them both have such a good time. Every now and then my Husband would sit down with me and we'd get to chat a little. I even got up and tried to play with my Son a bit. I look forward to no longer being pregnant, so I can get down and play with him like I used to.

We rented a fantastically priced $1 a night Redbox movie on the way home. "Couples Retreat". Relaxed some more, watched the movie, ate dinner, and ended a peaceful day with a peaceful night. How wonderful. The best way to spend Mother's Day, is with the people who make me a Mom!


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Hair All Gone

Yesterday, we were visiting grandparents. While we were there, our son played out in the backyard. When he came in, his clothes were covered in ants. I took him outside to clean them all off and did a hair check as well. While I was looking at his head I realized he had something strange going on with his scalp. In the area he had had some sand in recently, I found a strange almost scab, almost dandruff "growth" around each hair follicle. The only way I can describe it, is like mild cradle cap. I have no clue what it was or where it came from, or if that sand I mentioned was any culprit in this matter.

Today, I decided I would cut his hair. He's been so hot lately, filling his pillow case with sweat during nap time. I figured the best thing I should do, was to buzz it all off and get a good close look at this stuff on his head. Meanwhile, he will feel cool in the coming summer months. Best of all, hair grows back.

I buzzed him to a zero and found myself looking at a poor little bald baby. He looked funny with his new do, but I got a great look at his scalp. It was a much larger area of head than I had suspected which was affected, but I could still only describe it as cradle cap. Luckily, having a baby on the way, we had the solution to this problem in the house. I rubbed in the cradle cap care cream and let it sit while he got in the bathtub to wash off all the fresh cut hair. I then scrubbed this strange stuff right off his head and washed his hair thoroughly. Lot's of nastiness came off his head and after the bath, he was clean fresh and "strange growth stuff" free. I may never know what it was, but at least it's gone. And so is his hair, which is sad, but like I said.... it grows back.

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TP Roll Pencil Holder

This craft is only suitable for an older child that can safely handle a low heat glue gun. Or, Mom, make it for yourself to decorate your own desk. It's easy and simple with minimal supplies.








Supplies needed:

3 pieces of fabric (the same or different, whatever you choose)
3 toilet paper rolls, free of leftover paper
low melt hot glue gun and glue
thin cardboard or heavy card stock
pencil
scissors




Directions:

Step 1: Measure and cut the fabric to be just a touch longer than the toilet paper roll and enough to wrap around the roll and overlap itself about one half inch. Do this for all three pieces of fabric.

Step 2: Stand a TP roll up on the thin cardboard or heavy card stock. Trace it three separate times to make three separate circles. Cut these out and hot glue them to the bottoms of each toilet paper roll.

Step 3: Line up the fabric at the top of the toilet paper roll and glue down the length of one edge. Wrap the fabric around and glue it to itself where it overlaps. Finally, glue the extra length to the bottom taking care to make it lie as flat as possible. Repeat this with the other two rolls and cuts of fabric.

Step 4: Glue the three rolls together where they touch.

Step 5: Make a ring of glue on the bottom of each roll to a) even and balance out how all three rolls stand together and b) make them slide free




Fill them up with pens, pencils, scissors, markers or anything else you want to. You now have your own personalized pencil holder.


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Homemade Pet Rocks

This is a great craft to make along with your toddler. Some pieces and steps are included which require an adult to complete and look over. Do not leave your young child unattended with this craft. It is designed to be a gift for someone else, made with love by you and your child.








Supplies needed:

1 open topped, small plastic container
1 brown paper bag
2 small rocks
1 paintbrush
4 safety pins
8 small bells
4 google eyes
2 small pom poms

tempura paint
handful of cotton
white glue
colored sand and/or glitter
hot glue gun and glue
paint pens



Directions:

Step 1: Set your child up with some different colors of tempura paint, paint safe clothing, a paint brush, and an opened and flattened brown paper bag. Instruct them to paint whatever they wish all over the brown paper bag on one side.

Step 2: While they are busy painting the paper bag, you can paint a decorative name of your recipient on the front of the container with the paint pens, and the name of your child and date on the back. Add any art or decor you wish to the container.

OPTIONAL Step: Do this if your container has holes on the sides, as shown in the pictures. While their artwork is drying, have your child hand you one bell at a time and attach two bells to each safety pin. You can do this with either small jumprings, or just by stringing them onto the point of the safety pin and then close it. Attach two safety pins to either side of the container through the handles.



Step 3: Have your child place a handful of cotton into the container. Then have them crumple their brown paper bag artwork and arrange it in the container to look like bedding. (Semi flat surface for two rocks to sit on) Depending on the size of your container, you may not need the cotton.

Now that the bed is finished, you can create your rock buddies.

Step 4: Paint white glue all over each rock (or help your child to do so) Roll each one in either sand or glitter and let dry.

Step 5: When they are dry, glue on two eyes and one nose to each pet rock. Their happy faces will help let your child see the progress of their hard work.

Step 6: FOR PARENTS: Use the hot glue gun to glue both rocks into their bed and help keep them from flying around.



Your pet rocks are ready for gifting.



If you are going to allow these to be your child's pets, please make sure to entirely skip the safety pin step.

You may also wish to not glue down the rocks if your child keeps them, so they can be taken out and played with. In that case, make sure the rocks are not small enough to be swallowed.


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Easy Bird Feeder

Simple enough for most preschoolers to do on their own, this bird feeder may attract a few local birds which will have your child entertained with plenty of learning opportunity. A small list of supplies is needed and chances are you may already have them around your home.







Supplies needed:

2-3 paper plates
3 12 inch long pieces of twine, yarn, or sturdy string
4-5 brads (or, in a pinch, staples)
Hole punch
Bird seed



Directions:

Step 1: Layer the 2-3 paper plates together and press the brads through them all, evenly around the rim of the plates. (If you don't have brads, you can staple the plates together)

Step 2: In between the brads, make three evenly spaced holes with the hole punch (Not too close to the edge). Tie one end of a string through one hole, and repeat for other two holes and strings.

Step 3: Gather the loose ends of all three string up at the top and tie together to make a loop for hanging. Be sure to make it strong enough not to fall apart, and also make sure the plates hang flat when held by that loop.

Step 4: Fill the plates with some bird seed and hang out in the yard to attract and feed the birds.



Hint: The weight of the birdseed may cause the plates to droop a little, creating a bowl shape for the seed. It will still work just fine.

Hint: If it's windy weather outside, smear a thin layer of peanut butter on the top of the plate first, then sprinkle a thin layer of bird seed all over it. That way the wind won't flow the food away.


Tip: For a more fun looking feeder, you can paint the plates and/or use colored yarn.



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The Band-Aid Kid

Maybe it was a month ago now that my son got a small cut on his finger. Whoo hoo! I could finally use one of the many cute band-aids I had been collecting over the past year or so, in hopes of using them to cheer up a poor little boy who accidentally got hurt. It worked just as planned too. He cried, I pulled out the band-aid basket, got him all fixed up and watched him smile as the pain turned to happiness over having a Hulk band-aid on his little cut finger. What I didn't realize, was what this event would provoke in him.

Every single bump and bruise now, he wants a band-aid. He knows where they are, and if I give him the go ahead, he will go get himself one. He also offers them to me whenever I say, "ow". Although, he does also offer me a kiss wherever I may hurt. Very cute to have my son kiss my belly when I tell him, "Ouch, the baby is hurting me". All of this isn't so much a problem, but he is doing is too often and we may run out of band-aids for a time when we really need them. I do not always let him go and get one, I tell him to shake it out if it was a bump.

Cheap little band-aids from the dollar store are no big deal, he can play with those. However, lately he has been going for the large size Spongebob ones which I found on clearance at Target. These, we are in shorter supply of, so I cannot let him get his own band-aids anymore, as he will always choose these mega huge ones. Today he told me he cut his toe and needed a band-aid. I said, "Go ahead and go get one". What I come back to find is a little boy with a band-aid so large, wrapped around his toes, that the whole top half of his foot was covered. The worst part... after the band-aid is on for 30 seconds, he says, "I feel better", takes it off, and tosses it in the trash. Ugh.... :)

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