My personal challenge to end yelling

The 30 day No Yelling challenge.

I've seen this going around lately and thought I would use my blog to help keep me accountable.  Good or bad, I'm going to try and check in once a week to let you know how I've been handling things. 

First, let me warn you.  I'm not a calm person.  I'm actually a very obscene, angry, hateful, pessimistic kind of person.  I've leaned over the years how to manage my road rage and filter my verbal sewage, but I'm still human.  I have bad days, I pms just like the rest of you ladies and I haven't had a good night's sleep in more than 15 months.  I find myself getting angry at inanimate objects (stupid fucking microwave) or situations that are cosmically beyond my control (stupid fucking sunrise) And of course I get upset at other humans (stupid fucking person driving that blue car)

But what bothers me the most about my internal anger is how easily I find myself getting angry at the people in my life who deserve better.  They deserve better FROM me and they deserve a better ME.  Those people of course are my husband and my son.  Yes, my son.  My sweet, innocent, precious, love of my life, FIFTEEN MONTH OLD baby boy. 

How can you yell at a 15 month old?  How can a sane person begin to rationalize actually, angrily, verbally yelling at a toddler?  When you look at it from the outside it just seems ridiculous.  Yelling at a toddler for behaving like a toddler is like yelling at winter for being cold.  Or yelling at a tree for growing in the forest.  I mean, come on!  He's only 15 months old.  Why am I getting so angry at him?

I can give you a list of excuses, but that's all they are.  Excuses.  And you know what they say about excuses right? ;)

Yes it's true, I've barely slept during the last 2 years. (Because pregnant sleep is NOT good sleep, am I right?!?)  I work long hours.  My hormones are wack because I'm on my period. Blah, blah, blah.  He's still only 15 months old.  And you know what?  He's cutting molars =( He's going through a growth spurt right now that is aching his bones to the core.  He's got a monster case of cabin fever from being locked indoors for his first "real" winter. 

Did I mention HE'S ONLY 15 MONTHS OLD!!!!

I'm the grown up here, I need to start acting like it.  I need to stop taking my frustration out on the most innocent member of my family.  (And don't forget my poor husband!) So starting right now, this very moment, I am going to use every ounce of strength I have to keep my temper, maintain balance and stop yelling.

** I want to add that although this sounds like I'm some screaming lunatic mom (Roseanne? Malcolm in the Middle?) I'm not.  I promise you.  My fits of verbal anger and frustration are typically limited to about once a week. And I never, I mean NEVER!!! take my frustration out on T-man physically.  Never! **

on a scale of 1 to 10

Just for giggles ;)

 

 

 

You might be a Redneck Mama if ...

I've come to realize that there is a very fine line between being a "crunchy" mama and just being a plain ole Redneck mama ;-)  So I've asked my mama friends to give me their very best, real life "redneck mama" moments.  Here are a few of my top favorites:

What do you do with the poop?

That has got to be the most frequently asked questions that people ask a cloth diaper parent.  Well, to be more accurate it's more like:

 

"Ewwwww!! Omg, but what do you do with the ... POOP!!!"

 

It sounds silly, but hey!  It's an honest question!  I asked the exact same thing before I began using cloth and now, when people ask me I can answer them openly and honestly. 

 

"I eat it, of course! (Duh)" 

 

Come on people, seriously? It's poop, what the Hell do you think I do with it?  I flush it down the toilet. =)

 

After having a little fun at the questioners expense, I give them a brief explanation of how I rinse, store, wash and dry my son's cloth diapers.  That usually satisfies their curiosity and they either change the subject or, and I love this option, become more interested and ask even more detailed questions.  Yay!  Educate!  Educate! =)

 

Okay, so how DO I clean and care for my beloved stash of (highly addictive) cloth diapers?  I'm so glad you asked.  ;)  Here, let me walk you through my system.

 

First off, storage of dirty diapers.  There's a lot of options for containing the dirty diapers, but I opted for a cheap, simple, lidded trash can.  You can add a "wet bag" inside (a washable, waterproof bag) if you like, but I don't bother with that.  Does my toddler play with the lid?  Yeah, sometimes.  Do I find the random toy mixed in with the dirty diapers?  Yep!  Is that the end of the world?  No.  Just wash the toy and move on.  ;-)

 

 

 

Wet diapers just get tossed in the pail till wash day (every other day usually) except for the overnight diapers.  I like to rinse those in the sink first since they are so heavily saturated with urine.  The poopy diapers take a quick detour to the bathroom first before landing in the diaper pail. 

 

My darling husband rigged up a kitchen sink sprayer onto our toilet (and another one on the toilet at work too) You can buy manufactured sprayers, but this route was more economical, only costing us about $20 (per toilet)   

 



 

To help contain the water and poop splatter while rinsing, I made my own spray pail from a small waste basket and cloths pins.  Of course you can buy a manufactured version (for about $25) but you know me, always looking for the most economical route! I found this waste basket for $3 and it took me about 5 minutes to cut out the bottom with an Xacto knife.  Add a couple cloths pin or even a kitchen clip, and your ready to go!

 

 

 

Alright, alright.  There's the parts, but how do you actually "do this" poopy diaper thing?  Easy, I promise!  With these simple parts you can quickly and efficiently clean your diapers with minimal Ick Factor.

 

Holding the spray pail with one hand,  clip the soiled diaper into it (or just grip the top of the diaper if your brave) You'll have to get acquainted with each brand & style of diaper you own to find which spray direction will be the most efficient.  I've found that some pocket diapers are best rinsed pocket "up" while other pockets need to be rinsed pocket "down".  *anyway*  Take your sprayer in one hand, the pail in the other, point and shoot!  Rinse until the diaper is poop free, then simply flush the toilet (see? easy!)

 

 

I like to give the diaper a quick sink rinse afterwards and a good squeeze to get the water out.  Then it's back down the hall and into the diaper pail it goes.  (The diaper pictured above was a poopy one that I had just finished rinsing.  That's how clean my diapers get by rinsing)

And there you have it.  That's what I "do with the poop" 

 

Unless I'm hungry, then I eat it.  ;-)  (Ba hahahaha!!!!)