Heart Reflections Live

I love cloth nappies!- the kind my Mum used on us when we were babes in arms. Yes, I use terry towelling fold-them-yourself nappies (diapers) on our dear little twinnies and love them!

While I've always liked doing things the old-fashioned way, there's a bit more to it when it comes to things like baby care for me. I'm no New-Age Greenie, just a Bible-believing Christian Mama, whose been thinking a lot more about Christian Stewardship and what it entails the past few years. As I become more aware of something, then it becomes my duty to act on it, especially when it comes to the welfare of my children.

Did you know that on average, a single disposable nappy takes 6 months to decompose! We do buy disposables to use while I recover from my Ceaserseans, and I'm always shocked by how quickly the rubbish mounts up- double that for twins! After my 6 week recovery we use cloth at home, saving disposables for going out, and the rubbish pile reduces dramatically! This time round we are allowing disposables for night-time changes as well, but it's a good feeling knowing that each cloth one you use saves landfill.

Now, you may ask, is this a justifiable point for a Christian who believes that God will make new Heaven and a new Earth? I believe it is. As much as we'd all like to believe that we'll be the generation to see Christ's return, we may not be, for no man knows the time nor hour, and if Christ delays His Coming, I'd like to leave as little landfill as possible for my Grandchildren.

As well as the environmental issues, I've become more aware of the issues involving the chemicals used in many baby products and paper products , including disposable nappies. This is something I'm still looking into.

Financially cloth nappies save heaps of dollars. The disposables the boys currently use cost about 35 cents ea (AUD) That quickly multiplies with 2 babies. We buy generic brand nappy liners and nappy soak, we're on tank water- God provides-it's free, and unless it's raining we don't need to use the dryer. I still have to do a cost comparison of disposables verses using the dryer for those weeks when it's raining non- stop.

We were blessed to be given 2 big bags of cloth nappies before we had the twins- lovely thick soft ones! The old ones from Talitha and Zara have become burp cloths, or hand cleaning cloths for hubby when he checks the engine- they keep on keeping on! I fold my nappies in whatI believe is called the Scottish fold- a triangle shape with very thick padding between the legs. I've never ventured into the world of prefolds or modern cloth diapers. Having to upgrade nappies to bigger sizes seems a bit of a waste to me, when I'm 41 years old and up to babies 3 and 4! The beauty of the terry-towelling squares is that when they get a bit snug, just change the fold!

I find there is minimal time difference between changing a disposable or a cloth. The only difference really is adding a pilcher or nappy cover over the nappy, and that takes seconds! I use a snappy nappy fastener ( a plastic claw)- much quicker and safer than than a pin!

Have I whet your appetite for trying cloth nappies? You could start a college or private school fund for your child with the money you save buying disposables! Try it- you might just like it- and there's nothing like a line full of nappies happily waving in the wind. Satisfaction of a happy baby in soft white fluff...

Here are some links for you: http://www.punkinbutt.com/ Scroll down the left hand side to articles and read the whole or parts of Cloth Diapering 101. This is a great study on environmental damage, health issues, saving money, laundry tips and more!

Labels: keeper at home, my favourite things, parenthood, twins

I couldn't resist posting this one! This is our 4 year old Zara, who, by her own admission, LOVES TO WORK!!!- both outside with Daddy, and inside with her Mama. "What can I do to help?" or "What jobs have you got for me?" are 2 of her favourite questions.

When she plays, she plays work- cooking, picnics, feeding her babies, or her newest thing "playing homeschool" and teaching herself outside homeschool time.

You know I was thinking just the other day what an asset our children are, and yet so many consider them a stress or a liability. During my last ante-natal visit, I was discussing with the doctors my extreme weakness, breathlessness and lethargy this pregnancy. The doctor said, "It's probably a combination of being 40, carrying twins, having a low blood count and heamaglobin, oh, and of course you have 2 at home."

I had to disagree with the last phrase. Yes, our children aren't perfect, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have days when they stress me out (especially while pregnant!), but they are such a blessing and a help and a joy! I love home-schooling them and watching them learn, and at the moment being so weak and not being able to keep house to the standard I'd like; sitting down and schooling them makes me feel that my days are not being wasted. My doctor looked shocked when I told him my 4 year old vaccuums for me at the moment. I didn't mention the dishes she wipes or the laundry she folds and helps me hang on the line. ( The sight of Zara turning herself head-first and up-side-down into the washing machine to unload it for me is SO funny! BTW I don't ask her to do that and I try to stop her, but her heart to help is tremendous!). Some people find it odd I guess to find a 4 year old who's not glued to the TV or computer screen or off having fun at daycare.

I may be having a difficult pregnancy, and walking the path less chosen being a Stay-at -Home , homeschooling Mother, but you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!

Labels: child's play, keeper at home, motherhood, parenthood, pregnancy, Zara

Oh my, what wonderful lessons I'm learning as a full-time wife and Mama, and now a homeschooling one as well.

Life is wonderful, though often challenging and not always easy. Homeschooling is a dream come true for me (though we are still trialling it) and I'm seriously loving it, even with a very strong-willed but intelligent 6 year old student. She can be so incredibly passionate- worshipping the Lord with all her little being, working hard to learn her hymns and memory verses one minute, learning to read simple books in 3 weeks, and then falling prey to her sin-nature (flesh) the next and struggling with basic obedience the next in a more mundane task... But she is so precious and loving and she's OURS for now to train up and be disciplined in the ways of the Lord- what a priveledge!!! It's our hope and prayer that her passionate nature will be used for the glory of God.

Homeschooling is a wonderful lifestyle, but it's Mama training and character training for me too. (STOP PRESS: Our children have a friend from church over, and they are happily banging pots and pans, marching around the living room VERY LOUDLY- Praise the Lord!!!)Those pressure cooker moments are the perfect place for me to be and for the sweet Lord to bring me face to face with my own short-comings and sinfulness.

I consider it sinful if I lose my temper with my children, when bringing correction. There is nothing so ugly as a Mum yelling at her children. I believe this firmly, and yet I still lose it at times and am so aware of my sin, my bad example and my need of Grace. I desire my children to see less of me and more of Christ. And yet these moments are perfect for demonstrating in lack of a perfect example, an honest repentant heart, and what person on the face of the earth doesn't need to learn this.

Just yesterday I was about to do a cooking lesson with Miss 6, when Miss 4 woke up from her nap. I agreed to let her help, but I was stressing inwardly about the time, as we were expecting people over after dinner, and I was really pushed for time. Miss 6 was doing well and I decided to let Miss 4 help measure the ingredients, as she is good at this, quite tidy and loves to help. Miss 4 had just completed a lovely neat job with the flour, and then triumphantly flicked the scoop into the air, along with a heap of flour onto the already cleaned carpet. The volcano erupted!! (Now I know why Psalm 37 says fretting leads to evil...) I apologized for my outburst feeling ashamed and asked for forgiveness- and our little treasures are soooo forgiving. Happy she had finished her job, Miss 4 went off to play. Still disappointed by my outburst, I said to Miss 6, "I feel awful having snapped at Zara like that..." "Never mind, Mummy", she said. God will forgive you!".

Thank God for grace and for the precious gift of His Son. I thank Him for the pressure cooker moments as much as the peaceful and easy days. They all keep me close to Him. And GRACE is the seasoning that brings perfect peace even in the pressure cooker!

Labels: Faith, family life, homeschooling, keeper at home

Wow! I actually surprised myself. I really did bake more than 2 things this week. Usually I'll bake a nice cake or something similar on a Friday, as Friday night we host a Bible study at our home, & other than that I'll usually do a batch of cookies or muffins as a treat for Talitha's lunchbox or for us at home. That's the norm for me.

This week I baked a Banana Cake Monday (We had some rather black bananas!), ANZAC biscuits Tuesday, a Lemon Merengue Pie on Friday, & I'm about to finish a 2nd smaller one this afternoon- and do you know what? It didn't really feel like that much hard work at all!!

Does this mean I'm starting to turn into a real-life 1950's housewife?!? Or am I simply finding more pleasure in serving my family & others who happen to Grace our table, and do it cheerfully unto the Lord, as my meagre skills improve? I Know I'm no June Cleaver, but I hope I'm a better Keeper-at -Home , than when I walked down the aisle nearly 7 years ago. At least I've progressed from being a can-opener cook to being able to make quite a few things from scratch, just like my Grandmother did, with the added bonus of electricity! I don't think I'd like to try it on a wood-stove though- hubby would soon tire of burnt offerings all the time!

Labels: baking, keeper at home, staying home