sprocketandradish-blog

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First Monday in December!

i'm a terrible unitarian lmao.

Is Chalica already going on or does it start this Monday? I ask because last Monday was still November and this Monday is technically the first one of December so

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Chalicetide

Last night we lit our chalice for the first night of Chalicetide. It was the first time the Radish had ever seen a flame. (We don't light the chalice before dinner, these days we don't usually even make it to the dinner table for dinner.) Radish thought this was the best thing ever for about 2 minutes, which is a lot in baby attention span. It's so weird how doing this with a kid makes it feel so much more real. It felt like a tradition instead of this thing we just sort of do. I think the fact we decorated helped. I have a garland of rainbow wool balls up, and a rainbow of led tea lights (plain white tea lights with tubes of tissue paper in rainbow colors tape around them) in the front window. It's nice to have our own holiday. It's so hard not to fall back on the things we did as kids, because they are traditions and memories and nostalgia, even though we don't want to support some of those ideas and practices in our own home. It's also hard because the grandparents are so invested in those things. Instead, we will light our chalice and ask for forgiveness, do service for our community, work for justice and the health of our planet, and spend time with our friends and family.

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I'm curious. Reblog this and explain the origin of your URL in the tags.

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Hamilton/Babylon 5. Yes, this would be the most perfect fusion. Not only because they have pretty similar storylines, but because Alexander Hamilton and Susan Ivanova in the same room would make my life happy. Also George Washington and G'kar, Londo and TJeff. Yes, we are sort of having a revolution, and we're fighting a war, and then we're going to try and build a government. Besides, Babylon 5 could've been a musical, no problem.

TUMBLR NERDS I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU

HERE ARE THE STEPS: 1 - TAKE YOUR OLDEST FANDOM you know the one, that first thing you made art or wrote fic for, where you made all those really weird over the top OCs because you didn’t know any better 2 - TAKE YOUR NEWEST FANDOM yeah, that thing that you love and can’t stop thinking about right now 3- SMASH THEM TOGETHER like freakin’ conceptual play-doh 4 - MAKE SOMETHIN’ OUT OF IT make fic! art! a song! whatever!

HERE ARE THE RULES:

1- HAVE FUN WITH IT 2- THERE ARE NO RULES THIS IS CROSSOVER TOWN AND WE’VE STOPPED THE CAR IS GONE YOUR ROOM IS BOOKED AT THE OLD-TIMEY NERD MOTEL IT’S TIME TO DO SOMETHING STUPID

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A Joyous Chalicetide to my fellow UUs, and a Happy second day of Channukah to everyone celebrating. Dad and stepmom went home this morning. Except for the part where stepmom gave herself a horrible grandma name that the kid will never, ever use if I have something to do with it, it went really well. (It isn't Glamma but it might as well be.)

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We have officially survived two months with Radish. Let me tell you they were some of the hardest two months I have ever lived. Oral comprehensive exams have nothing on this. But there were a few things that made it easier and since Radish is conked out on my chest for the moment, I'm going to start telling you about them.

First up Aden + Anais swaddle blankets.  Yes, this is nothing new, everyone on the Internet swears by them. For once, people in the Internet were right. Make sure, however, that you get the Aden + Anais Classic Swaddle Blankets that are available on Amazon and at baby boutiques, not the Aden by Aden + Anais Swaddle Plus Swaddle Blankets if you are going to use them to swaddle. Why?

The Classic Blankets, though slightly more expensive, are vastly superior to the Swaddle Plus blankets for keeping a baby origami’d up. The Classic Blankets measure 47” by 47” versus Swaddle Plus’ 42” by 42”. Those five inches are life saving - don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Radish, at her most full on howling Houdini can break out of either swaddle. She’s a big, strong kid, and even the Velcro swaddles can’t stop her. However, sleepy Radish, who is just considering waking up maybe, can’t escape the Classic Blankets, whereas if she just looks wrong the Swaddle Plus blankets unswaddle. Classic Blankets mean that at least fifty percent of the time Radish stirs, is reassured by the the nice tight cocoon she is in, and goes back to sleep. And sleep is GOLD.

Now, a lot of people hate swaddling with blankets, and their kids aren’t Hulk strong and can’t beat the Velcro. (Even if you don’t use them for swaddling, they get used for everything from carseat blankets to burp cloths.) So why should you still buy the Classic Blankets if you don’t need the extra length? They are so much softer. After three or four washes the Classic Blankets get cloud soft. I’m a little pissed that they don’t come in King size versions for my summer sleeping needs. The Swaddle Plus blankets are soft once they are washed a couple times, but they just don’t reach the same level of snuggliness as the Classic Blankets.

Both types stand up well to washing and don’t stain easily. I even managed to rescue the one Dozer used to clean up 22 oz of spilled Dr. Pepper and then stuck in a plastic grocery bag for an entire weekend. It doesn’t even look brown. Blood, EBF poop, and spit up have all washed away clean (some of that is a testament to my awesome laundry detergent: Ecover).

I would like to try both the Silky Soft Rayon Swaddles and the Organic Swaddles, but until then my recommendation is at least one pack of the Classic Swaddle Blankets when buying for a new baby, maybe two if there is room in your budget.

I'm pretty sure that these will be superhero capes, doll blankets, tents, pirate sails and much more in the years to come. In the meantime, besides bottles and diapers, they are our most used baby gear by far.

How I got the product: Purchased for self

Level of use: Every single day

Length of use so far: 0-2 months

Cost: $49.99 for four blankets (old prints are on Amazon for $39.99)

tl;dr: buy the Classic Swaddle Blankets

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turkey day recap

We did a five hour drive to see my sister and her kids. The Radish probably did as well as could be expected, and yet, so much screaming. She is not ready for car trips yet. I don't know when she will be. I was out of the car seat by the time I was four, and so I spent family car trips lying across the bench seat with a lap belt on because my mom was hardcore about seat belts. If my mom had me now, I'd've been rear facing until I was in kindergarten and in some sort of seat until I was ten or so. But she didn't know better, so I spent car trips sprawled across the seat with the lap belt pulled as loose as it would go with my books and notebooks and stuffed animals surrounding. I suspect that makes long car trips so much easier. I'm committed to rear facing to the limits of the seat, and harnessed as long as possible, but I also feel nostalgic about the time I spent in the backseat of my parents car. Turkey day itself went smoothly. Our quest to include bourbon in every dish is going well. Bourbon whipped cream is awesome. The Radish went up in the ring sling and slept through dinner, so I even got to eat uninterrupted. My sister, Indy, has a five year old, Briar, and a six month old, Jamie. It's really impressive how little our baby gear overlaps. Jamie has exersaucers with flashing lights and kiddie music. Everything she wears is pink, and there is always a bow in her hair. She's on to purees, and so there are thousands of implements for feeding the baby. It's a sheer, overwhelming wall of baby stuff the minute you walk in their house. And yet, I feel no need to convert her to my way of parenting. Instead, we each do our thing, and spend all that mommy war engery on figuring out how to get bourbon into the green bean casserole.

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We really wanted to be a cloth diaper family. Cute and eco conscious and super sensitive seemed to align with both our needs and our values. (Especially since I’m allergic to a lot of scents, including fake baby smell. I ended up with hives and a swollen tongue in the hospital from the soap they used for Radish’s first bath. Not fun.)

The thing is we failed at cloth diapering, hard. Some of it is because Radish is unwilling to feel wet at all even for a second. Part of it is our washer sucks. Part of it is it was just beyond us when we were super sleep deprived. And a lot of it was because Bambo diapers really, really worked well for us. If we’d stuck with the Huggies they used in the hospital we might be a cloth diaper family right now.

The Huggies diapers they used in the hospital blew out with every poop, and worse, led to terrible diaper rash even places that never got wet. We were fed up with them even before we left the hospital. We then went through a pack of Babyganics, which were okay and didn’t cause the terrible diaper rash of the Huggies, but just did not fit the Radish correctly. Next pack was from the Honest company, which all my non-cloth crunchy mom friends gushed about.

They were about the same as the Babyganics, not terrible but nothing to write home about either. They blew out fifty percent of the time, and getting a good fit around both the legs and the waist just wasn’t happening.

And then came Bambo Nature. I’d bought them in size 2 (that’s size 1 in American brands), because they’d done well in reviews I read and after the whole hives thing, I was looking for something as irritant free as possible. Bambo takes the cake for this. They are certified up the wazoo and have a bunch of awards, but who cares as long as they work?

We still get a blowout once in awhile, but so much less than either the Huggies or Honest diapers. Bambo diapers are overnight worthy, even on the one night Radish was out for six straight hours.

Even though they are a bit more expensive than other brands, they keep the baby happy, dry, and generally clean, save us laundry, and make my life easier. A++

How I got the product: Purchased for self

Level of use: Every single day

Length of use so far: 0-2 months

Cost: ~$0.38/diaper

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Holiday-Related Resources for LGBTQIA Young People and Their Families!

The holiday season is upon us, and we know that it can be an especially stressful time for LGBTQIA folks: maybe being around your family is tough, maybe not being able to be with your family is tough, maybe you’re getting ready to come out at Thanksgiving dinner (raise your hand if you ALSO did this), maybe you’re the parent of a kid who came out at Thanksgiving dinner and you have one million questions and you’re trapped inside by the early winter.

Whatever your situation, we’re here to help.

Below is a compilation of all of our Holiday-related advice as you gear up for the coming months. Of course, we have plenty more advice over at theparentsproject.com, and you can always ask us your specific questions here or @parentsproject on Twitter!

Safety Planning for the Holidays by Allyee Whaley and The Trevor Project

10 Things Not to Say When Your LGBTQ Child Comes Home from College for Winter Break by Cornelia Prior

Coming Out Around the Holidays by Kristin & Dannielle

Gender and Holiday Clothes Shopping by Dannielle Owens-Reid

Navigating Holiday Sleeping Arrangements by Bianca Palmisano

For the Gender Non-Conforming Child on Your Holiday Gift List by Julie Tarney

All of us at The Parents Project hope you all have safe, loving, and warm holidays!!!

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At my mom's we buy two of those big bottles for nine people and get two breakfasts out of them, maybe three. That's why orange juice is only for weekends.

My Irish friend didn’t believe me when I told him that in Florida there is literally a wall of orange juice in every grocery store.

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This started out with me just wanting to sketch a lace dress and then poof levitating witch making either the sickest pumpkin pie you’ve ever eaten or some poisonous concoction. Or both.

★ Patreon!

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When I’m in a room full of extroverts

[Gif of a gray cat looking mildly alarmed as it is advanced upon and surrounded by several lab puppies.]

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@hansolosbutt tbh you’ve ruined me now every time I think of Leia being General Organa/Solo all I hear in my head is “HEEERE COMES THE GE-NE-RAL”

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paper straws and mason jars

I just let myself get talked into throwing a baby shower for a friend's wife. I'm a hardcore introvert, but I had hosting skills engraved into my skull in Texas, and so as much as I hate the idea of being at a party I don't actually mind throwing a party. Some of it is because I know and am comfortable with the rules (or at least the Texas version). And the Texas version is close enough to the Deep South version that I don't have to adjust too much (on the other hand the Northern Midwest version of party rules still baffle me. Also people who say they are barbecuing when actually cooking out.) So while the Radish sleeps on me I've been wading through Pinterest. Normally I stay away from Pinterest because it triggers some deep Enlightenment need to classify all the things in a sort of weird Linean system (also jicudk Lineaus is an asshat). I probably will need someone to save me when I get to the point of picking out straws.

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The complete ‘Women Who Changed Science - And The World" collection in honor of the 95th Women’s Equality Day.

Purchase Here!

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roy g biv

Best part of the day: Chalicetide candles came in. They are a lovely rainbow of beeswax and smell so good. I've been sniffing them when I get the chance. My dad and stepmom are officially coming to visit during Chalicetide, so we'll see how that goes. Dad is an Apatheist and step mom is evangelical so we avoid religious topics in her presence. I've actually never celebrated Chalicetide anywhere there was anyone besides UUs. We shall see. However, anyone attempting to spoil my first religious holiday with my kid will be getting the boot. Not that the kid is being super cooperative. Radish has decided it's more fun to scream than eat, whether from me or from a bottle. So very frustrating. We walk. Back and forth and over again. She isn't usually patient enough for me to get her into a carrier with my fumbling newbie ways, so I carry her a lot. My neck, back, and wrists all hate me. Got to practice more with the ring sling so I can get her in with a good seat.