Cloth diapers anyone?

I have been cloth diapering my now 22 month old daughter for almost a week now. First time ever. Funny thing is I have been using basic Gerber diapers that I had bought for burp pads and to lay on the changing table and to use as diapers only for "emergency" situations. I have been reading allot about cloth diapering lately and decided to give it a shot. It is nice that the diapers fit her perfectly now and she will lay so still and be patient while I fiddle with the diaper pins. I have saved so many disposable diapers now that I have lost count. So definite saving $ here. Bad thing is that I don't yet have a diaper cover but I figure with the money I'm saving on disposables this week I can buy one next week. It is tons easier than I expected. If I ever have another I will use cloth all the time and use the 7th generation diapers for "emergencies". Only took 4 kids to figure it out!!

Lesson for the day.


I have learned an important lesson today and I just wanted to share it with everyone.

Always wear pants when mowing the lawn. Yep that simple. Even if you are sitting on a riding mower.

Guess what I discovered today.

Oh, what a nasty little creature.

After driving the lawnmower close to my ornamental burning bush I felt a sudden burning sensation all up my left upper leg. And it got worse and worse. Felt like a bee sting only the stink was my whole leg above my knee! I was once stung by a man-o-war when I was little and it reminded me of that feeling. I had to keep rubbing and scratching to take some of the feeling away. Then I rubbed alcohol all over it and that seemed to help some.

I made my husband come back outside with me to find out what had stung me and I found that guy. I have him in a jar now. Looked him up. It's called a saddleback. See the brown saddle on his back? I think he rubbed across my leg because he was on the underside of the leaf. I'm still angry with him. I know it isn't his fault. He was just munching away enjoying his dinner when I rolled by and nearly knocked him off his yummy leaf. But DAMN that hurt!!!

Yep, I think I'll wear jeans when I mow from now on.

Saddleback Caterpillar
SIZE: 1 inch (25 mm)
COLOR: Purplish-brown body with a purplish saddle shape on its green back.
DESCRIPTION: The saddleback caterpillar is about an inch long, and has poisonous spines on four large projections (tubercles) and many smaller ones that stick out from the sides of its body. The "saddle" consists of an oval purplish-brown spot in the middle of a green patch on the back. Saddleback caterpillars feed on the leaves of basswood, chestnut, cherry, plum, oak, and other trees and shrubs.
HABITAT: The saddleback caterpillar is a general feeder and is generally found on shade trees and ornamental shrubs in late summer.
LIFE CYCLE: Adults tend to take flight in mid-summer.
TYPE OF DAMAGE: The poisonous hairs or spins are hollow and connected to underlying poison glands. Contact with them causes a burning sensation and inflammation that can be as painful as a bee sting. The irritation can last for a day or two and may be accompanied by nausea during the first few hours. Usually the site of contact reddens and swells much like a bee sting.
CONTROL: A person "stung" by a poisonous caterpillar should immediately wash the affected area to remove any insect hairs and poison that remain. An ice pack will help reduce swelling, and creams and lotions containing steroids will lessen the discomfort and promote healing. Persons known to be sensitive to insect stings should consult a physician. Stinging caterpillars rarely occur in sufficient numbers to be considered plant pests, but people who work with ornamental plants should learn to recognize them and avoid touching them.