Evening Walk to the Park

Pretty blooming trees.

Adorbs.

Playing in the sand.

 Harper is becoming quite the climber. So tall!

New Ride

Our baby girl's due date, July 31st, seemed so far in the future...but now that it's nearing the end of April, time is definitely flying by. We took action and put our beloved Bumbleride Indie stroller up for sale on craigslist, knowing we wanted something that could work well with two kids. Harper definitely loves to do his own walking, but there are plenty of occasions for long walks around the lakes or to the park or simply when he tires of walking. There was even a day last week while running a "couple errands," as Harper says, where he fell asleep in the car and I successfully transferred him into the stroller and ran our last errand with him sleeping peacefully. It had been a long time since that has happened, but shows it is still possible.

We debated, and I agonized, over which double stroller to choose. Okay, agonized is too strong of a word, but it's seriously difficult to weed through the many many choices and pick and choose which options and features are most important while staying in budget. Although we never had a bad stroller experience, I can imagine a difficult stroller could easily make outings not so much fun. 

Here are the criteria we set for the must haves of our double stroller:

*inline, not double-wide *easily compatible for a toddler and baby *easy adjustable handlebar height *plenty of sun shade cover *five-point harness *not too bulky or heavy *great maneuverability

The couple of things we weren't sure if we wanted were:

 *three vs. four wheel (we loved the three-wheeled Bumbleride) *jogging stroller *air-filled vs. foam-filled tires

After lots of internet research, reading tons of reviews, asking friends for advice, and visiting a baby store, we decided to purchase the Britax B-Ready stroller. Baby Grand, a local baby store, was running a special on the 2011 model and put their price the same or lower than any online retailer, and we're always happy to support a local, small business. So this afternoon we went stroller shopping and brought home this guy:

Without listing all of its features, since you can read them online for yourself if you wish, here are the things we love about it:

*both kids have plenty of space with space leftover in the storage basket for diaper bag or other items *flexibility of seat positions and reclines *works great as both a single and double stroller *super easy to use, fold, maneuver *well made, sturdy, durable *awesome sun shades *came with nice extras (cup holder, organizer for keys/phone/etc., rain cover) *even though bigger and heavier than the Bumblride Indie, it isn't overly so and is definitely not cumbersome

Harper had a fun time playing with the doll-sized strollers, scooter airplane, and other toys while at the store, but once home with the stroller assembled, he wanted to go for a walk in his new ride. We took a short walk around our neighborhood and were given Harper's approval. I can't wait to hit the city streets and trails, and soon with two kiddos!

Harper's 2 Year Check-up

We are happy to report that we have a healthy, growing toddler! Harper's pediatrician gave him two thumbs up for his size, weight, health, and development. She asked me how many words he knew, to which I replied, "I have no idea, but it's a lot. He's our little chatterbox." I was thankful they didn't need to record a specific number, because I seriously couldn't say. He knows well above the 20 words they say he should know.

The pediatrician was great at helping Harper feel at ease throughout the appointment by letting him touch and play with the tools before she used them to check him out. I was very thankful she took all the extra time to do this after Harper completely freaked out with the nurse who simply took his measurements. The measurements ended up being a little traumatic, but then I guess I can't blame him since he surely doesn't remember all the other times it's happened and being stripped down and put on a funny looking chair to be weighed or laid upon the exam table with a tape measure around your forehead could be pretty alarming and out of the ordinary. He was a champ during the finger prick (to check for lead levels) and one immunization and left the office with a smile and looked curiously at the big bandaid on his finger. Joshua met us in the parking lot for a quick hello before heading to work, knowing Harper might need a day brightener after visiting the doc. 

Here are Harper's stats:

Weight- 29 lbs. (62%)

Height- 35.7 inches (82%)

Head Circumference- 18.7 inches (20%)

Since his growth is right on track, we got the okay to switch to 2% milk instead of whole. Josh and I will probably switch to drinking this too so we don't always have to have two different gallons of milk in the fridge. Life just got a little easier. We also were given the go ahead to schedule Harper's first dentist appointment, but I think we will wait until he is closer to three. If being weighed was tough, a scary sounding toothbrush could scar him forever!

Party Hardy

April is a busy birthday month. Last weekend we celebrated Harper's 2nd birthday, and this weekend we celebrated his friend Jozef's 2nd birthday as well as Joshua's 29th birthday. We headed over to Jozef's house Saturday afternoon for a casual gathering with Jozef and his family. Jozef's parents put together a yummy spread of fresh fruits, veggies and popcorn for snacks. The boys get along well and had fun playing together. They even tolerated a bunch of adults trying to take pictures of them pretty much the whole time.

Happy Birthday Jozef!

Back at home, I finished putting together a few appetizers and snacks and frosted the cake in time for Joshua's party guests to show up. The one nice thing about having two birthdays close together (and both being boys) is that I can leave decorations up for both parties and avoid a longer to-do list for the second. A bunch of friends from Mankato days and Apple came to celebrate, bringing with them wine and drinks to share. When I put BYOB on the invite, I wasn't expecting to end up with a couple unopened bottles. It was generous of everyone to share with us. 

I was disappointed at first that Saturday ended up being constantly rainy and cold (back in the 40s), keeping us from moving the party to the backyard, but it ended up being just fine with the right amount of people to be cozy but not over-crowded in our little bungalow. Josh set up iTunes DJ so everyone with a smart phone could log in and request certain songs they wanted to hear. I didn't even know that was possible! Harper enjoyed entertaining our guests and was far from shy. It was difficult to get him to bed, but once he was out, he was out. We had a great time and have a 1:30am bedtime as evidence.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Josh's birthday with us! There's still lots of chocolate cake leftover, so Josh and his coworkers can enjoy more celebrating tomorrow (his real birthday).

Affluenza

I recently finished reading the above book Affluenza. If you're not yet aware of what Affluenza is referring to, it's basically the "epidemic of over-consumption." I've been conscious of our society's over-consumption for a long time now and am always wondering what else I can change about my life and our family's life to battle this disease of materialism and excess in exchange for a more meaningful and responsible life. What I like about this book is that it presents all the horrible facts and statistics that make you cringe at what our culture and society has become, but it does it with humor and a lightheartedness that keeps you from feeling the world is doomed.

There are so many interesting and important things this book points out, too many to list. Just ask Josh. He was consistently interrupted by me rattling off this or that, and finally I suggested that he read it for himself. I don't remember when it was exactly that I was drawn to simplicity and in some ways minimalism, but I know I constantly feel the urge to organize and purge to rid ourselves from things we don't use and don't need and to find ways to consume less. I know we need to continue to do more to do our part in changing our world for the better, both socially and environmentally. I know it's not easy, but it doesn't have to be hard.

The book has three parts. Part one lays out the symptoms of Affluenza such as debt, waste, threatened family values, disparity, crime, global warming, cancer and other diseases, depression, etc. Part two explains the causes of Affluenza throughout history such as the Industrial Revolution, politics, corporate America, advertising, suburbia etc. Part three suggests treatments for Affluenza, some already underway and necessary others, such as personal actions, changes in government policies, education for children, community action, etc.

A few great quotes from the book:

Our wastefulness- "We buy a wastebasket and take it home in a plastic bag. Then we take the wastebasket out of the bag, and put the bag in the wastebasket." -Lily Tomlin, comedian (This can be applied to all sorts of products with various levels of packaging.)

An individualistic society- "Markets flatter our solitary egos but leave our yearnings for community unsatisfied. They advance individualistic, not social, goals, and they encourage us to speak the language of "I want" not the language of "we need." -Benjamin Barber

What are we living for?- "Let us consider the way in which we spend our lives. The world is a place of business. What an infinite bustle...There is no sabbath. It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents...I think there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself than this incessant business." and "If I should sell both my forenoons and my afternoons to society as most appear to do, I am sure that for me there would be nothing left worth living for." -Henry David Thoreau

What's possible- "If we can harness the ingenuity that has made North America the richest, most successful society in history, our environment can start making a comeback in a single generation." -Alan Durning

What matters- "The gross national product includes air pollution and advertising for cigarettes, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors, and jails for the people who break them...It does not allow for the health of our families, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play." -Robert Kennedy

Anyway, you probably get the idea. If you haven't done so already, I highly encourage you to read this book. Or, if you aren't interested in reading it, find a copy out there of the TV documentary it was based on. All of us need to be informed of the junk we continually are fed and what we can do to implement change.

Here are some things we already do in our family to fight against Affluenza:

• Bring reusable shopping and grocery bags to the store.
• Recycle
• Buy organic and sustainable products when possible and affordable
• We don't own a TV. Josh and I do watch a few shows online, but this way we consume less and avoid the bombardment of never ending advertisements. (Someday we hope to own an energy efficient TV, but will still not pay for cable.)
• We live within 4 miles of our church and one of Josh's workplaces.
• We live in a neighborhood with parks and trails within walking distance.
• We live in a small house (though not energy efficient...) of just 835 square feet. This helps us live within our means and keeps us accountable for the stuff we accumulate. We're to the point where anything we buy or are given pretty much needs an equivalent donation.
• Avoid buying and eating too many processed foods
• Buy for quality and not quantity

Here are some things we can do better in the short term:

• Find a way to stop junk mail
• Unsubscribe from email advertising
• Be a more conscious shopper- aim for sustainable, local products
• Utilize public transportation and opportunities to bike/walk
• Pay off debt- definitely working on this one and have already retired a couple loans
• Learn to take shorter showers
• Compost (we'll have to talk to our landlords about this one, but we could potentially cut our trash in half if we composted our food scraps and other compostables.)
• Help educate others and our children

Here are some things we are aiming for in the long term:

• Own a sufficiently sized, but modest home that is energy efficient and makes use of non-toxic and sustainable materials
• Live a balanced life of work and family, with time to explore and connect with nature
• Lessen our dependance on gasoline, oil, etc. in exchange for renewable resources
• Grow a vegetable garden
• Continue to build up a savings and retirement fund

I hope you will also evaluate areas in your life where you can live more responsibly. For my kids sake and upcoming generations, I hope we can get our society back on track to a more sustainable future.