Routines...

We have been discovering that by changing our nap routine (one midday nap, and no napping past 4pm) the toddler goes to bed earlier and more easily.

On the other hand, this discovery went hand in hand with the discovery that if he goes to bed earlier, he doesn't need two daytime naps.  This I was horrified at not thrilled about.  I know I'm totally spoiled having an almost two year old who has been taking at least two (1 hour +) naps a day for the past six months, and three a day before that, but still!

Naptimes are times when I don't have to pop into the living room every five minutes just to check that the toddler isn't climbing the piano, make sure nobody is unrolling/eating/strangling their sibling in a ball of yarn, the baby isn't eating the toddler's snack, the toddler isn't trying to pick up the baby, the baby isn't eating a magazine, the toddler isn't unzipping the baby's outfit, etc.  Y'know.  I can power through laundry without interruptions, go to the bathroom without wondering what they're up to, or sit down with a cup of tea and concentrate on some reading.  So naptime is of course precious, and losing one?  Well, I'm going to have to get a lot more organized and incorporate the toddler into more of my housework while the baby is napping, I think!

So we've been pulling out puzzles and blocks and generally having fun figuring out a new normal, which has fit in nicely with the fact that he is ready for more "preschool" looking activities.  I'm planning on making him some playdough for his birthday, which I am really excited about.  We gave him eight pieces out of the giant bag of Duplo blocks I have stashed away for his birthday (shhhhh!) as an Epiphany gift, and he has been playing with them and really understanding how to pull them apart and put them back together.  Seeing him enjoy them so much is making it really hard to wait until his birthday to give him the rest of them! :)

Now that I've been thinking about this, and reading this post and  this post... I'm actually excited about this new opportunity for finding a new rhythm for our days! :)

Also, I'm wanting to start getting up earlier and working out while they're asleep... even if it is just a few minutes!  I think that will help me hit the day running... well, that and having a cuppa tea in my system before they wake up... ;-)

What do your days look like?

Here is the recipe I use to make liquid laundry soap. I was going through so much that I decided that it would be worth the effort to make my own. Also if I run out I just make more instead of it being an emergency shopping trip! The friends who gave me this recipe thought it worked better than store-bought, and I completely agree. The load of Micah's work clothes that I tested it on came out cleaner than usual! The people who gave me the recipe calculated that it was about 2 cents per load of laundry. My washing soda was three dollars cheaper than theirs was, but I'm not motivated enough to do the math. ;-)

Liquid Laundry Soap
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup washing soda (or sodium carbonate)
1 cup soap flakes or a grated bar soap
2 gallons water
20 drops essential oil (optional- I didn't have any)

Combine Borax, washing soda, and most of the water. Boil soap flakes in remaining water, and add to first mixture. The soap will help gel the mixture. If your water is hard, add more washing soda. This recipe makes about 2 gallons, so have some jugs ready before you start!

Use about 1/2 cup of laundry soap per load.

If you have trouble finding the washing soda/sodium carbonate, as I did, check the pool section, where you might find it intended for use as a pH balancer. This is fine as long as it is only sodium carbonate. (I couldn't find washing soda at my Walmart, but my small local grocery had some.)

An alternate recipe I make just for our cloth diapers is 1C Borax, 1C Washing soda, and 1C Oxyclean (4 tablespoons for a medium load). I use this instead because I was told that the bar soap in the other recipe could make my diapers retain odor and repel water! This recipe has been working very well, and I like the fact that there aren't any scents or unknown ingredients going on a tender baby bottom!

My friend Anna also posted today about making laundry soap! She makes her own powdered version, which is very similar to my liquid recipe. She points out that it takes up less storage space, so if you're interested in making your own and that is a factor, you should definitely head over there!

Currently...

... waiting for the baby.
... drinking tea.
... sitting on an exercise ball.
... thinking about what to have for lunch.
... appreciating the glorious weather and...
... wishing I'd taken my camera out when I walked this morning.
... planning on hanging some laundry on the line this afternoon for the first time in a while.
... wanting Hostess cupcakes. I know, I know. Fortunately I don't have any or any way of procuring them.
... wondering whether I should put more energy towards the baby quilt or the housecleaning.
... wondering how hard it would be to make a baby gown.
... deciding to go eat lunch before making any decisions.