After four kids, ten moves and nearly two decades, we are still blissfully in love (most of the time) and I found myself back in the state I was born and raised in. It has definitely been a journey. In fact, on our 18th anniversary we pulled the last of our stuff up over the pass and into Montana, leaving our surprise love, Idaho, behind. But Montana is a great place. The last best place according to some. And we fully intend to explore as much of it as we can! Join us on our continued adventure through life, love and other stuff that comes with it.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Dear Santa,

Turn this paper over and see the pretty sunset and pretty house that I made by myself, that I drew with markers for you. Enjoy the yummy cookies. I know they are not your favorite cookies, but I hope you enjoy them with the milk. Jesus loves you. Merry Christmas. He loves you all the time and God made everything.

From: Grace Calla Annabelle dog Voilet and Reegan


(From the mind of a 5-year-old, transcribed by daddy on the back of her pretty picture.)

Happy Babywearing and Merry Christmas everyone!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Yummy Chicken. Nuff said.

Food. Sometimes there is that meal that is just divine. And to top it off, it's easy.

Tonite my husband said, "You know, I really like this. I think you could make it every night and I wouldn't get tired of it" as he was picking every last yummy piece out of the pan while I was cleaning up the rest of dinner.

We call it Yummy Chicken--the recipe was actually called Indian Summer Chicken.

A note on my recipe--I'm a "little of this and a little of that" type cook. It sometimes drives my almost type-A husband crazy. But he really likes this dish--and it always turns out yummy.

Brown some chicken breasts. Then throw in some chicken broth (like a can) a glug or two of white wine and a can of stewed tomatoes--or any tomatoes really. Stewed, canned whole, canned diced, fresh, whatever. Tomato sauce would probably work well, too. Simmer that for about 30 minutes. Toss in some basil--fresh if you've got it. And serve. Yummy chicken. We have it with wild rice blend and a salad. And even the girls eat it all up.

Pure bliss in a dish.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Tell you what . . .

. . . my husband says to the girls tonite WELL after their bedtime.

You two just stay in your beds and stay awake all night. If you can do that I'll give you a dollar.

Really?

Yes. If you stay in your bed and stay awake all night, I'll give you a dollar.

But I can't stay awake that long.

Well, if you go to sleep in the next 5 minutes, I'll give you two dollars.

(10 minutes later)

I think I owe Grace two dollars.

And Calla pooped her pants.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Love my mom friends!

Some tidbits from today:

Bread is the underwear of the kitchen. -Lisa. We love Lisa.

They've got boobs in there and they're not afraid to use them! -Kate *warning* the men working in the garage that there are nursing moms in the house and they should enter at their own risk. Poor guys.

I'm glad my husband approves of my friends.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Chopsticks

Last night a friend took the girls to a Japanese restaurant. It was one of those ones where the chef comes to your table and cooks and throws food and knives (just what my almost 3-year-old needs to see). They had a grand time.

And they came home with chopsticks. This morning Grace tried them again.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Ummmm . . . no I didn't.

My two oldest have been fighting non-stop since we moved. I'm sure it is the move and all that, but it's been totally out of control. I even seperate them and they still fight across rooms and halls and oceans.

No I didn't!

Yes you did!

No I didn't!

Yes you did!

No I didn't FIRST!



I had kept telling myself that they were still just adjusting to the move. Moving is hard on kids. It's hard on everyone.

But yesterday I realized that the problem is my almost 3-year-old. I was changing the sheets on my bed and she walked in.

What are you doing, mom?

Changing the sheets.

Why?

Because you peed on them.

No I didn't. You did.



Houston, I think I found the problem.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving shots

We did more than dust the ceiling and change lightbulbs.

We ate turkey . . .



And whipped cream . . .



And pumpkin pie . . .



And sat on the couch and took our own pictures.



We're still recovering from all the fun.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

I'm thankful for . . .

It was a small gathering this year at the in-laws. Our family of five, grandma and grandpa (my in-laws), great grandma, the brother-in-law and his new little wife, and the neighbor. And a 22 pound turkey.

After dinner (which was very good by all standards) we partook in normal post-meal activities--dusting the ceiling and changing light bulbs. It's very important you know.

It started with the new sister-in-law (bless her heart) and her concern about the dust on the smoke detector that was a good 20 feet up, mounted on the ceiling. It's a legitimate concern. That much dust could affect the smoke detecting ability of a smoke detector.

My mother-in-law is never caught unprepared. It's something I've learned in my 12 years as part of the family. I think somewhere in that purse of hers she might just have a cordless drill and probably a ladder and a hat rack and a full length mirror and a nice plant for the corner. Her purse doesn't even resemble a carpet bag. That's the amazing part.

Grandma (my mother-in-law) went into the garage and pulled out a telescoping pole with various attachments--a duster and a suction cup--that she had recently purchased because she "thought it might come in handy." She handed it to my husband who promptly attached the duster, extended the pole and dusted the fire detector. And since he was up there, the ceiling.

Then the other brother called. "Yea, we're just dusting the ceiling. Doesn't everyone do that after Thanksgiving dinner?"

Not a football game in site. Really. And nobody was asleep on the couch. Although the newest sister-in-law was thinking it was a good idea.

"Mom. Do you have some more lightbulbs?" Of course she does. She's like this real life Mary Poppins who just pulls things out of her bag. He knows that.

The ensuing activity was one I did not want my dare devil 2-year-old to watch. They couldn't get the suction cup to stick to the burned-out light bulbs. My brother-in-law wanted a ladder on the island. But his mom would only let him have a step stool. Bless her heart.

All 6'5", 230lbs of him standing on a step stool. On the counter. I prayed my 2-year-old was still glued to the television in the other room.

My new sister-in-law looked at them and asked, "How many Donnellys does it take to change a light bulb?" Well, the way they work, it depends on how many of them are in the room. It's a team effort.

I'm happy to report that nobody was injured in the changing of that lightbulb.

The second light bulb was not over the island where he could reach it. It was more between the island and the refrigerator. I suggested they get a 2x4 and make a ramp between the counter and the fridge--kidding of course, but you never know. They thought pulling the fridge out and standing on top of it was a better idea--not kidding of course. "How much do you weigh?" my husband asks him.

They settled for a piece of Scotch tape on the suction cup. I was pleased. Nobody was injured. My 2-year-old didn't see it. And now we won't have to do that for at least another year. Unless they burn out before Easter.

Yes. I'm thankful for Scotch tape.

Happy Thanksgiving! And happy babywearing!

Friday, November 21, 2008

A small miracle

For once in my life as a wife and mother I don't feel buried in laundry!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Simplify

The last several weeks have been crazy. Moving into a house 1/3 the size is quite interesting. It's pretty great. I decided everything will have a place. If it doesn't have a place, it doesn't belong in the house. I am going through EVERYTHING and last weekend we had a sale. A move like this forces one to do drastic things.

I called it the 4-ton moving sale because I was convinced there were four tons of stuff there. Stuff that I found in the house that I hadn't used in forever, stuff I forgot I had, stuff that I didn't know I had, stuff that I didn't want to dust anymore, stuff I realized I didn't need to be attached to, stuff that I didn't want to move again, stuff I don't need now and realize it is completely replacable when I do feel I need it again. It was all there, and then some other stuff. (I've never used the word 'stuff' so many times in one paragraph!) I am not a pack rat. But somehow over the years, stuff just piled up. It's quite a phenomenon. And obviously at one point in my life I (or my husband or my children) felt life should not go on without that particular piece of stuff.

I have had some great help from great friends. Some came and helped us move on the big day. Some brought food. Some took my kids for a few hours. Some came and helped organize the sale or my house. Some of them came to the sale and brought food and/or offered moral support for a few hours. (Sitting for hours by ones self in a situation like that makes one emotionally fragile.)

And many of my friends have felt drawn to my stuff. Almost like they feel sorry for it and need to rescue it from my brutal, pruning hand. "You're not keeping that??" I heard more than a hand full of times. So quite a bit of the stuff went home with friends. Some stuff they needed, like an air conditioner, or a stroller, or lumber. Some of the stuff they just wanted I think, like the cow creamer or the brown oil painting that is hard to decipher but quite fascinating.

The whole experience seemed a study in stuff. Somehow I have become remarkedly detached from it. I'd say that it was the move that detached me from stuff (basically I don't want to move it again). At the sale I found myself saying things like, "This used to sit on my mantle," or "We used this for xyz," and I still felt completely detached from it all, even smiled as it walked away. Some probably think it's a front, but I don't feel like it's a front. I'm trying to be very realistic about it all. I will say though, there is something surreal about watching complete strangers go through your rejected stuff to find treasures. I had some guilt about that. What on earth do they need my stuff for? I don't need it? Is it just going to become stuff to store and dust at their house, too? I felt like some of the people were just bored, out looking for treasures in order to kill time on a Friday or Saturday afternoon.

In unpacking, I've had to focus--which can be difficult when one has small children. One box at a time. One place at a time. One room at a time. And it is coming together. (I even unpacked the last box from our previous move--almost seven years ago. I guess that move is finally done. HaHa) Even unpacking, I'm finding stuff that I wonder how it made the cut and got into the box that made it in the new place.

Ironically during all this, I find myself longing for new stuff. I was looking at my dish towels and bath towels wondering if I should just toss them and get some new ones. But that costs money, I tell myself. And in the end I decided to just keep them even if they were getting all ratty looking. There were a few decent ones to offer guests. Then I ran across two boxes--one said "New towels" and the other said "Dish towels" and they were from our wedding 12 years ago! YAY! New towels! I guess it's the simple things that get me all giddy. But I also think a bunk bed is a good idea, and a peg board. And a new broom. But while those are all a part of the system, it is still more stuff.

My kitchen feels good. My living room is coming along. The toys are finding homes (in plastic tubs beautifully organized on shelves!) and I'm not currently feeling the urge to toss any more of those. (I will never admit how many of them were re-homed or tossed in the garbage--mostly because it was too many to count.) The sewing room has all the furniture where we think we want it, but so far only one sewing-room box is unpacked. I'm waiting for my peg board to hang all my tools on. Waiting for bunk beds for the girls' room. Waiting for my very busy husband to find a few minutes to oil the closet doors in our bedroom so I can stand to open them and put stuff in the closet. (Currently they make a noise that is beyond anything I can bring myself to even think about without it sending shivers and they are mirrored and too heavy for me to feel comfortable managing myself.)

Now, we need to figure out how to keep the dog from jumping over the fence. She's used to being free to roam 50+ acres. Poor thing is now down to 1.5 acres. It's a tough concept for a dog. The horse seems a bit miffed at me, too.

But there are blessings in moving. This one freed me from lots of stuff. I have a system for everything or will be creating a system for everything, and it's small enough that I feel like there is a chance I can keep it reasonably clean. I feel cozy in this home, but it's a good cozy. A warm close family cozy. And it's at least 20 minutes closer to everything. We can run to the grocery store for milk or contact solution.

I do have one dish towel I want to keep. It's my favorite one and every time I see it, it makes me smile. Embroidered on one end of it is the word "Simplify." I think that is my new mantra. Simplify. Get down to what is necessary and important. I had vague recollections of a college literature class. Something about a guy moving away from society to a shelter by a pond with only a fork. Maybe I am not remembering the fork thing right, but I think he had some things right. I need to re-visit that guy. The dumb thing is that I will have to check the book out from the library since I know that one didn't make the cut. Shoot.


"Some things are really necessaries of life in some circles, the most helpless and diseased, which in others are luxuries merely, and in others still are entirely unknown." Henry David Thoreau in Walden

Monday, October 20, 2008

The great facing out debate

I'll be honest. I'm not a huge fan of babies being carried facing out in carriers. But I also haven't had babies who have seemed to want to be carried like that. They have been content tummy to tummy or on my back. But there are babies out there who pretty much demand to be carried facing out. I've met some and I've met their parents.

There are people who will tell you it's bad for babies: they get overstimulated and it's bad for their hips to be hanging like that. Their knees need to be above their hips, they'll say with rolling eyes. There are parents out there who will tell you that they are willing to take that risk and endure the rolling eyes because that's how their baby is happiest. And what kind of parent wants an unhappy baby?

For me, carrying babies like that seems unnatural. There's no snuggle factor involved with a baby facing away from you. I'm into snuggle factor and I think that is exactly why I love babywearing. It's also directly related to why I designed this carrier. (I had two kids of vastly differing sizes who wanted to be carried and neither one of them fit into my carrier. My carrier didn't work and my snuggle factor was gone.) I have also seen babies being carried in that position quite precariously, particularly in stretchy wraps--to the point that I almost feel like the baby will topple out at any moment. But, that doesn't mean I need to judge parents who are obviously trying to do what they think is best for their baby.

The point I'm making is that while I don't advocate carrying babies facing out and while I don't make a habit of carrying my children like that, a Silly Goose Baby mei tai does in fact work. And not just in a pinch. It all out works for carrying a baby facing out on your front. And it's actually pretty comfortable. She doesn't dangle from two inches of fabric across her crotch, and she doesn't seem to be in danger of toppling out at any moment. Plus, her little legs actually are pretty supported; she seems to sit in the carrier rather than dangle by it.

You need photographic proof you say?? Well, you're in luck. My husband is not a professional photographer and I'm no super model, but the carrier works and the kid is dang cute! She's three months old (already!) and about 12 pounds here.



To further the discussion, I have often wondered if some of the babies who demand to be facing out simply would rather just be going the same direction as their ride is going. Who wants to see the world backwards? Back carries are fabulous for hands free and not feeling like there is a baby in your way. (The one pictured above is content and asleep on my back as I type. I'm getting this done and she's asleep. We're both happy.)

I absolutely recommend that mamas and papas work together and master the back carry. Even if your child isn't demanding to face out. Even if you aren't enduring rolling eyes. It will also extend your years of babywearing. And wouldn't you much rather have a child sleeping on your back in the grocery store instead of running around like a crazy kid because you can't keep her happy in the cart? (I've experienced this. It's why I recommend you get another Goose just to keep in your car.)


So after the above picture was taken, I switched her to my back. She is on my back quite often, but I didn't have any pictures and my resident photographer was still in the house. So, he got this cute picture of her peeking over the top of the carrier.



I was satisfied with it, so we called it a day. But then less then 2 minutes later, a sleeping baby. (Notice I have the straps across her back. It's keeping her from slouching in the carrier and it's more comfortable for both of us.)



And just for funsies, I couldn't resist the over-the-shoulder sleeping baby shot from a few days ago. But it also does a good job of showing how well her little head is supported in the back carry.



Happy Babywearing! I'm having a great time. Can you tell?

Friday, October 17, 2008

More photos of the new DELUX Silly Goose!





One of my testers sent me these photos. She's a big fan of the Classic Silly Goose so I thought she would be a great one to test and compare. Her little one is 14 months and about 20 pounds in the photos.

Here are some of her observations:

. . . very comfortable, and love the way the hood attaches . . . very easy compared to others I've tried

. . . While both are comfortable, I find the Classic is comfier for a front carry, while the new one is more comfy for a back carry.

. . . (strap angle) makes a BIG difference in getting a tighter/snugger carry

. . . I think she liked how her arms could be out easier with this one (she's still such a small thing).

. . . I love having the solid carrier with a pop of fun fabric on the hood. Not sure if this is how you did all of them, but I really dig it.

Thanks Tracey!

(And if you want to see what she does, check out TraceyFrenchDesigns.com. I'm a little partial to her work. Hee hee!)

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

My privilege

I had a friend come over last week. This particular friend does things like open my fridge and comment on how organized it is. (She also raves about Silly Goose mei tais. Her youngest is 10 months and she told me that he has been in a Silly Goose almost every day since he was born. Most days 2-3 times.)

Anyway, we were talking about the housework battle and she gave me a new perspective. A friend of hers who also has children told her that before children, cleaning was a chore. But now that they have children, it's more of a privilege. I think I looked at her cross-eyed.

But then she went on to explain that with all these kids running around accomplishing something like mopping the floor or cleaning the shower or vacuuming the living room becomes something different. It's worth bragging about when your spouse gets home.

Honey! I cleaned the fridge out today! I mopped the floor! The toilets are clean! The laundry is folded! YAY! YAY! YAY!

I feel like a kid jumping up and down excited about the news of going to grandmas.

She's right. My privilege. Cleaning the house. It feels so good when it's done.

Now I just need to figure the magic formula that makes it STAY done.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The mei tai--so easy a 5-year-old can do it

/

She's so proud! This mama is, too!

If this were a real instructional video, she'd be tying double knots. But she just wanted to show off. :)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Beauty

Sometimes one can't help but be reminded of the beauty in life. It's been nuts around her lately. We're all tired, the house is a wreck, and I feel like I'm running in circles. But last week my mother-in-law called me. (I am one of apparently only a handful of people on the planet who can say that she genuinely loves her mother-in-law.) She called me with purpose.

On Mothers' Day this year we gave her a calla lilly. It was just one of the ones you pick up at the one-stop-shopping mart on your way down to dinner on Sunday after church. We obviously hadn't planned ahead enough and there weren't many left. But it was acceptable and she was thrilled. Went and planted it in her garden. (She'll tell you her garden isn't much, but it is quite pretty.)

We got her a calla lilly because all our girls have a flower name. Grace Rosemarie and Calla Joyann at the time. We added little Violet Faith Loraine later. She already has a rose bush, but that's another story.

She was calling to tell me that the darn thing was blooming.

It's October. I thought they only bloomed in spring, I told her.

Well, I thought that, too, she said. But it has these two giant white gorgeous perfect blooms on it.

It made me all fuzzy inside. I think it made her all fuzzy, too. We may have had a moment.

And here's our litte Calla standing next to the two gorgeous blooms in grandma's back yard. The date is Sunday October 5th, 2008.



Beautiful.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The flavors of childhood

Recently I've had my childhood come back to me in bits and pieces. In the flavors. It started with this milk someone gave me. Fresh raw whole milk. I poured myself a glass for dinner, and when I took a drink all I could do was look at my husband and smile. I was suddenly that little daughter of a dairy farmer sucking fresh warm milk out of the weigh jar (as fresh as it gets without actually squirting yourself in the face).

And then my mom sent me some honey. Not just any honey--fresh, raw honey. And then I pulled a loaf of bread she had made on her last visit out of the freezer. Suddenly I was that little girl sitting at the table in our old house on the farm eating a piece of bread with butter and yummy honey on it.

Yesterday I was drying plums. Growing up, our neighbors across the road had about three plum trees. Those little yummy Italian plums. We ate them fresh and mom dried them and we ate them all winter. Suddenly I was that little girl digging in the freezer for a handful of those dried plums to take outside as a snack on the way to do her chores.

After having all these thoughts come back to me, my husband came in the kitchen and got some of the dried apples out of the little baggie on the counter. He leaned back on the counter and started telling me about when he was little he'd go to his grandparents' house and they always had dried apples in the big deep freezer. It made me smile and gave me that little extra umph to get those apples in the driers like I want to.

I also had two boxes of peaches land on my front step. (I had told my neighbor I wanted a couple boxes and she got us some as a new baby gift--I could have just hugged her!) I canned all those up and my 2-year-old keeps asking for "peach juice."

When they are mamas, I hope they have pleasant flavors from their childhood that make them smile.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Chaos

Within the next month or so our family will be moving. And with moving comes chaos. So, for the time being I ask that you be patient with me if it takes longer than usual to answer an email or finish a carrier or ship a carrier or just in general find my brain.

I apologize in advance, but that's the way of the world we are currently living in.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Some more on the Delux

Here are a couple pictures that show the difference in the shape of the Classic and the Delux. They demonstrate well the different strap angle and the height of the body.





Happy Babywearing!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Something new from Silly Goose Baby! Meet Silly Goose Delux

I finally did it! I made another Goose! It features two major differences compared to the Classic Goose. But, the fabulous adjusting feature that makes it a Silly Goose remains the same.


After much pestering by my customer base, I designed a hood! The hood features webbing and a buckle that attaches to the shoulder strap on each side. Literally, it's a snap to use! Because the hood comes out of the top of the body, the top of the carrier is straight rather than curved like the classic.

My wonderful husband and our 2.5 year old who weighs about 24 pounds here:





It also has a different strap angle. This results in the child held tighter to you. You can see that here with me wearing our newborn--here she is less than a week old and weighs about 7 pounds.





It features an un-padded body, also different from the Classic which features a lightly padded body.

More pictures to come. And there should be several available for sale within the next week.

Happy Babywearing!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Price changes

As of Friday, September 12th, prices will be going up at Silly Goose Baby. Ajustments are as follows:

Classic Goose: $104
Delux Goose (stay tuned!): $130
Applique Goose: $189

The price of materials is rising. I need to pay the help. And with that help I'm planning to have a more regular offering of in-stock carriers and limited wholesale.

And maybe I'll be able to get more sleep. Notice that it's 9pm and not 11pm that I'm writing this?? YAY!

Thanks so much for your support!

No, it's not gas

That's a real smile.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Ring sling ding-a-ling

I have three children. The oldest just turned five. When she was tiny I discovered babywearing. I didn't discover the babywearing love with her, but I did discover babywearing. I blame it on the ring sling, not the baby.

I had purchased a ring sling after seeing one at a local le Leche meeting. It was a good ring sling. And I watched the video and tried to figure it out. I used it on occasion, but I could never get it right and it was never really comfortable. So I did the natural thing any uncomfortable and slightly frustrated new mother would do and gave up.

With baby #2, I discovered the mei tai and shortly afterwards (like literally 2 seconds afterwards), babywearing love. Since then I've branched into other carriers--particularly wraps. But I still considered myself quite ring sling challenged, as I termed it.

Yesterday I walked into my local baby wearing meeting with baby #3 expertly tucked into my one ring sling. The two leaders literally stopped what they were doing and looked at me in shock, "Is that a ring sling?? Is that really Heidi??" I was late, so there was no doubt that it was me. They were obviously surprised and might still be in shock.

It had been no secret how challenged I had been. But yes, I finally mastered the ring sling. I understand it and how it works and I can make it work for me. And I'm rather proud of that. I now consider myself a well-rounded baby wearer--crafter of one carrier, advocate of many.

I was talking with a fellow babywearer this evening and I mentioned that I had used my ring sling today. She promptly announced that she was a "ring sling ding-a-ling," a term that totally cracked me up! In fact, I kind of wish I had thought of it before I had mastered the darn thing. It would have been more fun. I may have not worked so hard to figure it out just so I could sit under that term and giggle.



Carry on!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

That beer commercial

I don't drink beer. I don't like beer. I don't have any grand or fancy or moral reasons for that. I simply don't like how it tastes or even smells.

I love the Olympics. I don't normally watch television, but I've been watching on and off. That swimming dude I had pegged as basically a big dork who was saved by swimming and is now showing the world what he's made of, not just all those kids that picked on him when he was growing up. And then I read in the paper that all he wanted to do after winning his 8th medal was go see his mom. That absolutely endeared him to me. Then I watched Bob interview him and his mom and I was way impressed by both of them. Shoot, she's a middle school administrator. That's a special woman no matter how you look at it.

But I digress. Tonite we were watching some diving and those darn draft horses and that dog. "Maybe next year, Hank." I am ashamed to admit that I cried! What is wrong with me?? I cry at a dumb dalmation (we had one; it was dumb and I will admit that I therefore judge all dalmations by that dog) barking at the horse pulling a freight train. And that horse coming out of the barn all ready to go after he made the cut. I'm getting all choked up just typing this. My gosh!

But then I realize that it's a beer commercial. And then I remember that tonite when we came home our neighbors on the hill (or maybe they aren't home and it's just their kids) were having a pool party. And apparently that beer company is sponsoring it--at least that's what I assumed by the giant banner hanging on their balcony.

So here I am all choked up by a horse and a dog and rolling my eyes at a giant banner hanging on a balcony. And it's all silly, really. And I'm just left feeling hormonal and emotional because of that beer that I don't even like. I guess that's what I get for watching television.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Finally! Photographic proof that it works!

I've known it works. I've seen it and I've done it. But I've never been able to catch it on camera. I tried, believe me I tried. But all my friends were having babies that weighed in at nine to eleven pounds AT BIRTH! I told them that those are not newborns--they are 3 month olds!

At any rate, I had to have my OWN baby that weighed in at 7 pounds when she was born and about 8 pounds here at just shy of 3 weeks old. And since I didn't design this carrier until my previous baby was about 5 months old, I finally got to REALLY play with it with a newborn. And I must say, the Silly Goose Baby mei tai is fabulous for a newborn!

Since playing with this extensively (she LOVES being worn! Yay!), I've figured out that wrapping the staps around her little back and spreading them, tying behind me is seriously comfortable and it stays put. (I adhore extra long straps. I can still do all that wrapping with regular length straps. And so can my husband. See previous blog post for pics!)

So, here is my little eight pounder who is just shy of three weeks old in these picutres--and me, just shy of three weeks post partum--caught on camera by my wonderful husband at his parents's house at a party I was forced to get "fixed up" for (i.e. I wore clothes that aren't stained and I fixed my hair). Without further rambling (and drum roll, please!), pictures of a newborn all snug and happy riding legs out in a Silly Goose Baby.









Happy Babywearing!

Monday, August 4, 2008

I love my husband

You know, sometimes I just look at him and think, "What in the world did I do to deserve such a great guy?" On Sunday he braved the mall with me because I literally didn't have a thing to wear that wasn't stained or even the right size. (Gotta love post-partum.) So, in addition to him coming to the mall with me, he does this:




























And then we get in the store and our almost 5-year-old realizes that her shoes are hurting her feet, so she obviously needs some assistance. Daddy to the rescue!





























If everyone had a husband and daddy like we have in our little family, the world would be overall a much happier place. I love this guy!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Thanks to babywearing and hotdogs!

Today I braved Costco for the first time since we welcomed baby Violet. And thanks to a couple hotdogs and babwearing, this mama made it through the entire trip unscathed! The two oldest were in the cart eating hotdogs purchased on the way in and were told they would stay in the cart today. The youngest one was asleep on mama in a Silly Goose (of course). It was even our last stop of the day.

I shudder to think what would have happened if I had this little one in a bucket seat, two tired, hungry older ones tagging along carrying their hotdogs (inevitably dropping them), and a cart FULL to the top with essentials (one of those the cupboards-are-empty trips . . . ). My last pre-Violet trip to Costco wasn't nearly as smooth. I was basically cussed on the way out by an overweight, heavily tatooed man who obviously didn't understand that I didn't want to run my uncooperative 2-year-old over with the cart, no matter how tempting it was.

My one bump on this trip was when I tipped a pile of shirts onto the floor. But a friend from church saw me and came over and picked them up, admired the baby, and introduced me to her dad.

That's more like it.

Yay for babywearing! (and hotdogs!)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Our baby is here!

Yes. Little Violet Faith Loraine was born on July 14th. She's beautiful and perfect and a very sweet baby.

And even though she didn't come by my self-imposed deadline, I felt fabulous and was able to go to Montana to my family reunion, my great grandma's burial, and a baptism. The whole weekend was everything I dreamed. Well, maybe not so much the baptism. But it was beautiful.

It was really quite funny actually. All day on Saturday the two older sisters played hard--they even went to a parade. And then they didn't go to bed until late. So an 8:30am church service wasn't exactly something they were rested up for.

The baptism took place right after the first hymn. The pastor obviously has young children and I was thankful for that. But, that certainly didn't save us from the tired children.

Now this church was packed with mostly my aunts and uncles and a few cousins (It's really a tiny church--it holds maybe 100 people if it's at capacity). And the majority of the remaining members of the congregation have basically known me since I was born, or shortly thereafter. This was comforting, even to this mama who has come to realize that nothing my children have done or will do is out of the ordinary.

Calla, the two-year-old, made it through the first couple minutes, and then decided she wanted something. She was at the point where if she didn't get it BEFORE she asked, she would melt into a sobbing, wailing mess. And she did. Daddy was holding the baby, so I tried to pick Calla up. That was obviously wrong. So I put her down. That was obviously wrong, too. So I just let her cry at my feet and went back to listening to Pastor.

Since I'd given up all hope of calming her, I got to focus on the baptism of our little Violet. I didn't want to miss that part since that's one of the reasons we had dragged our family 10 hours across the country in the first place. Violet slept through the whole thing and I got a little teary. It's amazing what you can tune out when you have to.

Then we came to the Exhortation to Parents part--where the pastor basically askes if we intend to bring Violet up in the faith. By now Calla had started to calm down some. And then her big sister bumped her. Oh gosh. The world was ending yet again. So I gently asked Grace to move over to the other side of daddy so she wouldn't 'accidentally' bump Calla. But Grace didn't want to stand by the pastor and just moved between her daddy and me. But in the process she stepped on Calla's babies that were on the floor.

And off Calla went again.

And then Pastor says, "If so, answer: Yes, and we ask God to help us.

What else could we do but just stand there with our angelic sleeping baby, our tired four-year-old who wasn't feeling like she wanted to cooperate, and our screaming two-year-old, but laugh?

And laugh we did--in front of God and everyone.

"Yes, and we ask God to help us!" Everyone else was laughing, too. That was comforting--especially since I knew that they all could relate on one level or another.

On the way out Pastor commented that our "Yes, and we ask God to help us," was the most sincere he had ever heard. I believe him.

(The last picture is of our beautiful girls and their beautiful little cousin. Grandma made all their dresses. )

Saturday, July 5, 2008

The four secrets of the perfect s'more



I know. It's after the 4th of July. But there is still plenty of summer left and I sat at our campfire last night (in the back yard--this pregnant mama is not going camping) making the perfect s'mores for our children and decided to share the "secrets" with anyone who is on the quest. Might take a little bit of practice, but soon all your friends and family will be jealous of your mad s'more makin' skills.

First you need the perfect fire--red hot coals, not giant flames.

Second, you need to get your chocolate melting. Put your chocolate on a cracker and put it on a rock by the fire to melt. It will take a bit, but melted chocolate is an absolute necessity to achieving the perfect s'more. If you are one of those sterile people who isn't into putting your cracker on a rock, you're going to have to get over it or find a sterile rock.



Third, your marshmallow must be roasted to perfection. This means it is melted all the way through. No spongy middle or it doesn't squish on there just right. I like mine a golden brown and even go so far as to take the marshmallow off the stick and turn it around to roast the other end if necessary. Some enjoy theirs charred, but I don't.

Fourth, DO NOT put another cracker on top of your marshmallow. Open-face is the way to go for the perfect s'more. That way you aren't squishing all the gooey chocolate and marshmallow all over the place and ending up with two graham crackers that are simply stuck together.

As proof that the perfect s'more may just be the secret to true happiness, I offer two very happy (and quite cute) customers.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Meet my friend Layne

I had a tie-dye and painting party at my house today. You know, the kind where you invite your friends over for something fun and hope to get some work out of them. I did manage to get work out of them, but tie-dye was much more fun.

Anyway, several of my friends have little kids--well, all of them. And I heard a few times, "Heidi, do you have a carrier I can use?" Well, yes. I have several as a matter of fact. But you don't get the *pretty* ones since there is dye (and hopefully paint) flying around.

Layne's little guy is going to be two at the end of the month. And he was tired and just needed to be held. So I gave her a carrier. And he was happy and she was happy.

Did I mention that in less than three weeks she's due to have twin boys??? I think she looks beyond gorgeous!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Baby names--why is it so difficult??

I think we finally did it. I think we finally decided on a name for this baby. We don't currently know the baby's gender, so we have two names--obviously a girl name and a boy name. It's been interesting. Plus, we aren't HUGE on sharing names before the baby is born. (Though I must confess that I have asked opinions in private out of pure desperation.)

The boy name wasn't too hard. Really, it wasn't. The girl name is the one that's given us trouble from the very beginning. We seem to have established a pattern with the first two and it's getting difficult to keep it up. Plus, there should be a law against naming pets people names. About 4 of the names I would have seriously considered would be shared with dogs I know. I just can't do that.

So, our 4-year-old is also in on the decision. She gets a yay/nay vote, though I'm not convinced it really counts. She's probably more of a pawn between mom and dad. But her reactions have been quite funny. In the car about a month ago I asked her, "What do you think of the name __________ if this baby is a girl?" She literally wrinkled her nose, shook her head slowly while looking at me like I was totally nuts and said, "I don't like it."

I finally narrowed it down for daddy. "These are my top three. You can pick." And the little pawn got a say as well. "What do you think of naming the baby _________ ?" And she says, "Princess ________________." **a pondering pause** "I like it!"

And so did daddy. Though I finally had to ask him pretty blunty to get a straight answer. No, it hasn't been a point of contention, at all. But sometimes mama just has to put her foot down a bit less gently.

Baby, you now have a name. Maybe by the end of next week mama will have the house ready for you to come home. But feel free to make your appearance whenever you are ready.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

How old am I???

I've actually been wondering that on and off for about the last four months. Dumb, but true. Since realizing that I really had no idea what number to throw out when asked how old I am ("Something that starts with a 3?"). I've just been too lazy and too busy to worry about doing the math. It's kind of been a joke in my head. You know, "You want me to do what? I don't even know how old I am. Are you sure you trust me?" And really there isn't any changing it anyway.

So the other night my husband and I were discussing his upcoming birthday. And he says something like, "Yea, 31 this year."

Ummm . . . honey, let's do the math. But I don't think you are 30.

Turns out he was off by 2 years. Two whole years. He's going to be 33. "How did that happen?" he asks me.

Shoot, I don't know. We had kids? We're busy? We really don't care how old we are? (He claims we just got the vacuum that is 11 years old and broke last week--finally, after threatening for about the last two years.)

Apparently this age thing is bothering him. He brought it up again today, out of the blue. "So I'm going to be 33, and you are going to be 34 at the end of the year?"

Yup. (About as sympathetic as I can get these days.)

And Grace is going to be 5?

Yup. And in a couple weeks, we're going to have another baby.

Oh yea.

Yea. We need to get ready for that.

Yup. But right now I can only accomplish anything that can be done from the waist up. Pregnant tummies get in the way you know. Can an old man like you help me out?

Are you sure you trust me with that? I don't even know how old I am.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Please pray. :-)

Pray this baby comes on or before the 10th of July.

To explain: My great grandmother was a beautiful lady. The most beautiful lady I've ever known. And I was quite close to her. Growing up just down the road helps quite a bit. DD#1 has grandma's name. And I wanted so badly for DD#2 to be born on grandma's birthday--her 100th birthday. We missed it by 2 weeks. Now I have another dream.



Great grandma died just a couple weeks before Easter--she was 102. She still had her mind and was quite healthy. It was one of those deaths that you don't know how what to feel. I am sad she's gone, but at 102 with the life she had, how can I be sad? How can I not be so honored by her life that her passing only becomes another reason to celebrate?

We all packed up and headed over (a 10+ hour drive) but DD#2 ended that trip by throwing up for the first two hours and we came home. I missed that service for her, but so did half the rest of my family. At your yearly reunion we are going to have the burial (she was cremated) on Saturday.

My dream is to have this baby in time that I can recover enough to go to the reunion and the service. I can't miss both of them. And, I'd love to honor her the next day at church (the church I grew up in and DH and I were married in) by having this little one baptized. A memorial service honoring a full and beautiful life one day, and a baptism looking forward to another full and beautiful life the next.

I can't think of anything more beautiful right now.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

In stocks listed!

And they are a good bunch. At least I think so. I was putting the Earth Targets on tan straps together and decided that is the one for me. I think it has a little bit of everything, and it's rich and pretty.



In three weeks (maybe more, maybe less) I'll have a new little baby to use it with! It just makes me warm and fuzzy thinking about it. **sigh**

Friday, June 6, 2008

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Keepin' it real--and un-sexy

I think it's just who I am, but I have a really hard time being anything other than what I am. Shoot, I don't even wear make-up. I guess I could be catagorized as a "take it or leave it" girl without that attitude. My husband and friends comment that they really don't have to wonder what I think--and if they do, they just have to ask. I even have people say to me "Wow, Heidi. Tell us what you *really* think." Yet, I don't think I'm harsh or overbearing, unless there was a line crossed somewhere that gets my undies all in a bunch. Then, well, I won't go there.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because I've realized it's how I've been running this business as well. Check out my website and you will find only real mamas with their babies (or a borrowed baby that is their friend's/sister's child) in their real clothes with their real hair and real make-up, or lack of make-up in my case.

We've had fun at our photo shoots. The one in the park was a bit interesting since we got there and the whole park except the rose garden was surrounded by chain-link fence. The photograpaher (yet another *real* mama who loves photography and takes payment in carriers) was super sweet and we made it worth our day. Again, real mamas, real babies.

All my instruction photos are in front of about 8 yards of black strap fabric that we tacked up in my dining room. My friends came over with their kids, we shot a ton of pictures, had some laughs, and then they made their own grilled cheese sandwiches as payment. I love my friends.

Also, I realized in the last couple weeks that there is something that sets a Silly Goose apart from other carriers besides the adjustable feature. It's chubby. Yup, it's a chubby carrier. Quite pear shaped to be sure. Very not curve-acious and really quite un-sexy. Freida, my trusty model, is even a *gasp* "full figured" model (i.e. size 10/12 with something like a C cup--I'd love to have her figure!). But (and I had a someone tell me that I'm really not biased because it's the truth) the good ole' goose works and it's darn comfortable for lots of mamas of many shapes and sizes and their little or big babies.

And my business name and logo--it's a goose for Pete's sake. Nothing sexy about a goose--except she does have pretty eyelashes.

So, maybe my new tag line should be something like, "Silly Goose--nothing sexy about it, but it's comfortable" or "Silly Goose--like those pants you wear when you don't plan to leave the house, only prettier."

Or, I just keep plugging away at my target customer--real mamas who want something that makes sense and is quite comfortable and quite practical. Basically, keep it real and keep it fun. That's my plan. So far I think it's been working.

Happy Babywearing!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Two in-stock carriers!

I know they are very girly--AKA very pretty! But my Etsy store is no longer empty and there are a few more boy friendly ones in the works.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

If You Give a Pig a Pancake . . .

Tonite I was reading that book to my girls and suddenly I realized that it's a total parallel to my life--possibly the life of any mom. That poor little girl is just trying so hard, but that little pig (an appropriately sweet but very messy and very excitable little pig) just does her in.

After watching my children both go through 3-4 sets of clothes today (all of which are now in the laundry hamper waiting to be washed), I couldn't help but make the connection when that little pig goes digging under the girl's bed and then goes through ALL her clothes looking for the right outfit to go with the tap shoes she found under the bed. And this is all going on while the little girl is trying to clean up the bath mess.

I looked at my 4-year-old and told her that I felt like that little girl sometimes. I felt like every time I was cleaning up a mess, they (my 4-year-old and her 2-your-old accomplice sister) were off in some other part of the house making a bigger mess. She just looked at me and smiled all cute like. (Yesterday I told her that people liked her and asked her why she thought they liked her. I was going for something like she is a nice kid. But she smiled and said, "Because I'm pretty cute." How can I argue with that?)

But I have to admit--that pig does have some pretty amazing construction skills. Did you see that tree house?? Holy smokes.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

In-stock carriers only!

I have ducks to get in a row (or two) before this baby comes. So, I'm officially closed to customs and will be offering in-stock carriers only up until somtime this fall. This includes XL straps and tall-bodied carriers. These may be offered up as stock items, but quantities will be limited and I'm not guaranteeing they will be available. My plan is to have new stock regularly--whether that means every couple weeks or once a month, I'm not sure. But, I'm working on it.

Stay tuned and Happy Babywearing!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Just in time for summer--new tie-dye panels!

They are fantastic! And you have until Tuesday, May 13th to choose your own strap color. After that, they are at my mercy. *Insert evil laugh*

You can purchase one at www.sillygoosebaby.com--click on *shop* and you'll see a listing for semi-custom tie-dye. Please note which panel you want as well as what straps you want it on.


SOLD!


Star #1


Star #2


Star #3


Star #4


SOLD!


A sample of a star on a carrier:



Happy Babywearing!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

357 choices!

You read that right. Over 300 choices from Silly Goose Baby! Fifty one panel fabrics (pictured). Seven strap colors: Black, natural, denim, navy, chocolate, sage, and tan. If you have questions about what matches what, feel free to contact me: heidi@sillygoosebaby.com.

I've listed 5 "build your own carrier" slots at http://www.sillygoosebaby.com/. The deadline to purchase these before I go in-stock only is May 13th. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery!

NEW strap colors:


Sage


Tan



Panel Fabrics:


*Please note that I have a large selection, but some fabrics are limited to one or two carriers.



There is a quarter in each picture for size reference.


Green Circles


Floral Charm


Wee Play


Bouquet


Blue Toile


Alsace


Sweet flowers


Orange Batik


Pink Stripe


Cucina


Kitchy Pink


Pink Gerbera


Apple Squares


SOLD OUT


Iris


SOLD OUT


Blue Daisies


Animal Skinz


Slate Texture


Black Scroll


Medallion (add $4)


Petite Red Leaves


Crystal Mums


Rodeo Music


Mint Chip


Garden Trellis


Empress Blue


Coffee Paisley


Season Shades


Retro Lavender


Flutterby


Nanny


Daisy


Empress Pink


Teal Paperweights


Tiger


Pink Kensington


Posh


Coffee Swirls


Paradise


Funky Floral


Pink Baby Steps


Cowgirls


Charm


Bright Butterflies


Bandana


Prairie Paisley


Tiny Diamond


Army Camo


Shabby Dots


Prints Charming