All Things Supercinski

This month’s video begins and ends with Josiah dancing because he does it all the time. We think it is very entertaining. One of his favorite aspects about going to our local pool is stereo the lifeguards have setup outside the lifeguard booth; he spends a good portion of drying off time dancing. I think he gets it from Thomas.

We’ll take a break from our current series for a Josiah update. The grandparents have been grumbling, so here you go, with lots of pictures.

Josiah is a lot of fun these days. He is talking up a storm and picking up words right and left. Some are practical and others are not. For instance, when my friend Erin was visiting, I said something about “that guy”. Josiah decided it is his new favorite word. When things are quiet, he starts say “guy, guy, guy” over and over. He has no clue what it means, but he sure likes to say it! Other interesting words have been statue, tato (potato, tomato), wheel, milk, stuck. I’m glad I speak “Josiah” because he sure is funny to listen to! He calls diapers “poo poos” and everything associated with diapers is also called “poo poo”–toilets, changing tables, wipes, diaper pails…

His favorite things to do these days are run around really fast, push his dump trucks, run around some more, bang pots and lids together, explore new cabinets, slide, go to the pool, play with trains and go to the Children’s Museum. I’ll post some pictures from our fun there later. Here he is playing his favorite game with clean diaper covers–throw them around the bed and hide his feet or hands under them and say, “ha-and? ha-and?” pretend to search for it and then exclaim, “ah!” when he finds it. He also enjoys doing flips, or somersaults, but with assistance. In the most random places he will assume the flip position (photo above) and wait for one of us to flip him over. He’s so funny!

One day last week, Josiah woke up and didn’t fit into most of his shirts, shorts or shoes. It seriously happened overnight. Thankfully, we have a box of hand-me-downs containing 5 sleeveless shirts and a few other summer clothes that fit and were able to get some really cheap shorts ($1 a pair!) and sandals to last the rest of the summer. This weekend he sported one of those new shirts as he helped Daddy wash the cars.

Josiah also transitioned from two naps a day to one. He is doing so well and we are having a wonderful time doing fun stuff all morning together. I’m thankful that it has also coincided with him being able to entertain himself for longer stretches of time without my constant attention. We’ve been witnessing a new intensity of emotions in Josiah, completely devoid of a filter. It’s tough to see and deal with, but I am encouraged that his capacity for understanding and patience only grows with time, so hopefully it will be short-lived. Here he is taking a break from washing cars by playing in the driver’s seat. Apparently, you don’t have to teach little boys how to pretend to drive!

I’ve posted about this before, but since I’ve been making and using my own cleaners for several months now, maybe this can be even more helpful. After reading the book in the aforementioned post, I gave away almost all of the chemical-based cleaners that I had in the house. I invested in a few essential oils, bought a couple of spray bottles, and I was set.

Cleaning products are a big money-making industry. Think about how many different “all-purpose cleaners” you have to chose from at the store or how many aisles at Target are devoted to cleaning products. To become a more environmentally-friendly cleaner, you could chose to purchase more natural products such as Method and Seventh Generation, and those are great first step. But think about making your own - it is cheap, fun, and you know exactly what is in them.

All you need is a vegetable-based soap like Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, white vinegar, baking soda and some bottles and jars. Essential oils are optional, but I recommend using them as they add fun smells. You can find essential oils at your local natural food/health store, and our local HEB has them also. Pick one that you like (lemon or food-grade peppermint are cheap and versatile) and start there.

I typed up the recipes that I use for cleaning around the house and they are available at the link on the right: Super Cleaning Recipes. Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

Stay tuned for the next post: Natural Body Cleaning (as in your body, not your car).

Edited to add more info about antibacterial cleaning:
Here are a few interesting articles you should read to determine if antibacterial cleaning products (including hand soap) are necessary and perhaps more harmful than good: More Harm than Good? and War on Bacteria is Wrongheaded (there are more good links at the bottom of this article.)

Soap and water is enough to clean, but if you feel like you need more in your home, here’s a more natural alternative: How to Disinfect with Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide