Natural History

We did it!  Today, before the baby was even 6 weeks old, we hopped onto the Metro and took the boys DOWNTOWN!  Yes, it has to be said with just that intonation, according to Widget.  He latched on to that word somewhere this week (Harold and the Purple Crayon, perhaps?) and has been talking about it for days … he wants to go DOWNTOWN to see the cars and the buildings.  So, we did!  We also went to see the DINOSAURS … RARWH! 

Yes, I know no one knows what the dinosaurs actually sounded like.  No, I don’t care.  In the words of Titan and Rhea’s mom, “Since we don’t know what noises they made, who’s to say they didn’t sound like lions and bears?”  Good point!

So today’s review is of the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.  So much has been written about it that I won’t bore you with a long post, but I do want to put in a quick plug for the Smithsonian museums or any museum near you, even if your kid isn’t out of diapers.  Widget absolutely LOVED the Hall of Dinosaurs, and we went up and down the steps endlessly, getting different views of the allosaurus, the stegosaurus, and of course the T-rex.  It was awesome.  Then he ran back out to the great hall with the humongous mastadon (“the nose” in Widget-ese), looked up at it in awe for a few minutes, cheeped along with the soundtrack of the birds, and declared that he was “done” and that we would “go train.”  Well, good enough.

After all, they don’t need to see it all in one day.  But they do need to see it.  And if the museum is free, or there is an annual membership available, then it doesn’t really matter whether we stay for an hour or all day.  We can come back anytime, and the important part is that we were there, we enjoyed it, and we were together. 

We were, we did, and it was freakin’ awesome.

P.S. Little Bear slept the entire time!

Burpcatcher

Parent Blogger Network Review:  Burpcatcher

Welcome!  If you’re visiting this site for the first time today from the Parent Blogger Network or Rocks in My Dryer, I’m glad you’re here.  I’m a mom of two in Washington, D.C.  I work occasionally as a consultant, but mostly I am home with my two boys or out with them exploring all the fantastic museums and parks that D.C. has to offer.  My blog has a definite “fun things to do” bent, when it’s not taken over by cute pictures of my newborn (a temporary diversion, I swear!) or tales of my pregnancy struggles (thank goodness that’s over!).  Today’s post is my first review for the Parent Blogger Network.

PBN sent me a local product to review today, the Burpcatcher.  The Burpcatcher was designed by a D.C. mom of three who invented the product while raising her own kids.  Margaret Webb Pressler is a writer for the Washington Post, and she has written sound financial columns and features that I’ve enjoyed for years.  I opened the package eager to see what she had invented and how it would change my life.

The Burpcatcher is a new product designed to help moms fight one of the more annoying bits of new motherhood — clothes covered with spit-up.  I received a two-pack of these ingenious little flannel cloths, and I’ve been using them for a little over a week.  The cloths are very soft, thick, and pretty right out of the package; they make an appealing shower or new baby gift.

The Burpcatcher is made of two layers of absorbent flannel cloth that stayed on my shoulder when I burped my five-week-old.  It works nicely as a little burpcloth or as a quick grab for wiping up related messes.  Although I personally can’t vouch for the usefulness of the pocket (as my baby has decided to spit up through his nose lately), a visiting relative oohed and aahed over the design and wished that she had had one when her kids were young.

There is a drawback to using these little cloths regularly with newborns.  Since they are thick, doubled flannel, they take forever to dry in the dryer.  This wouldn’t be a problem if they were designed to be washed with heavy sweatshirts, etc., but since most moms of newborns wash baby clothes separately, in Dreft or some other light detergent, every load becomes a hassle, with receiving blankets drying first, then onesies and sleepers, and finally the flannel Burpcatchers.  So to avoid sleeper shrinkage, the Burpcatchers end up flopping around the dryer by themselves at the end of each load.  This seems like added hassle at a time when moms need to streamline their daily routine.  I don’t know if the fleece ones have this issue as well.

I’d recommend this product to moms and dads who have kids who projectile spit-up — and I know they’re out there — but it’s not much more useful than a regular cloth otherwise.

Except … I’ve started hanging mine over the edge of my boppy, as a little pocket for the remote control and a pen (for jotting down ideas, natch) while I sit up late at night in marathon nursing sessions.  While definitely not the recommended use for this product, it is handy!

This is my inaugural review for the Parent Blogger Network.  To see other reviews, visit the Burpcatcher Carnival here.

Who, me?  Spit up?  Through my what?

Chubby!

Congratulate us — the baby is GROWING!  Little Bear came into the world at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, lost at least 0.5 pound his first week, regained it quickly, and now weighs in at a hefty 10 pounds 13 ounces!!!!

Yes, you read that right — he gained FOUR pounds in FIVE weeks!  He went from 21st percentile in week 1 to 63rd percentile in week 5!  What a little chub! 

Huzzah! 

(Edited to add picture — we were so excited when we got back from the ped that we had to share the news right away!  This is stunning and thrilling news for us!  Just LOOK at those chubby little legs!)

Water Painting (Sink Play)

Here’s a great idea for when you need just a few more minutes in the kitchen, but you’ve got a toddler who is ready to play!

It’s an easy tip, but one that I hadn’t thought about since I was a kid.

When your toddler has had his fun washing his hands and playing in the sink, but you still need a few more minutes to prepare dinner or clean up, it’s time to bring out the food coloring!  Just a couple drops will transform your sink into a rainbow of colors. 

We call the result “painting in the sink,” and my little boy loves it.  When the first drops go in, they diffuse through the water in really striking patterns.  Then he puts his little hands in the water and swirls it around, creating turbulence.  It’s lots of fun to watch the water swirl around in new strings of color. 

When the fun starts to diminish, add another color to the sink and watch it happen all over again. 

Add a small plastic cup to the play for pouring action, or bubbles for some texture to the water.  Bubbles will cause the colors to soften, but it’s a fun way to add white to the red, yellow, green, and blue colors in the sink.

This game can go on and on, as your child mixes the colors into new hues.  Just periodically add another drop or two of food coloring, and it’s a whole new game! 

Older kids can be prompted to experiment with the colors too.  Try filling one glass with red water and another with yellow. . . can he make orange in the sink?

We love this game, because Widget gets to splash water, pour, pop bubbles, and paint all at the same time.  And cleanup is easy, as it all goes down the drain!

Visit Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!