The Montana Mama Blog

Shoe polish - who knew?

2012-01-30T20:29:00.001-07:00

I haven't been too focused on my minimalist mission in the past few weeks. However, as I found myself craving a new pair of Danksos and coveting those of others around me, I thought, "WWMD?" (you know, "what would a minimalist do?")

I didn't have to think too hard because that night, as I visited with my sister, "Auntie M," I noticed her shiny black Danskos. Did she get new ones? Nope. Her reply: "shoe polish."

Huh?

You mean, people still use shoe polish? It kind of seems like a lost art to me. Maybe it is because I rarely by shoes that are real leather. Somehow I think shoe polish doesn't quite work on synthetic clearance shoes from Ross.

Last week I had a minute to pull out my worn shoes. Now, let me just tell you that these were purchased in Missoula sometime around when Clinton was entering his second term. Yes, these puppies are OLD! And WORN! However, the basic structure of the shoe was still totally intact. That is why I've kept wearing them. They still work fine and are oh so comfortable.

Anyway, when I finally had time to contemplate refurbishing my old friends, I decided to rummage around the house before I went out to buy shoe polish. Lo and behold, I found a bottle of black polish in Mr. Yost's things. Even more minimalisty!

The directions said you should make sure the surface was clean and dry. Do you think I have time for that? I decided to just jump right in (after I took some "before" shots of how pitiful they looked.)

Sad, sad Danksos.

2 minutes later and the results were, dare I say, dramatic? I even had Mr. Yost use some fancy-schmancy glue from his workbench to fix where the stitching was coming apart.

Voila! My beloved Danskos have entered a brand new chapter in their cherished life. Every time I've worn them since, I get a warm little minimalist glow knowing that I have nice looking shoes that I didn't spend any money replacing and I didn't add to the landfill.

Still here

2012-01-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

Man, can time fly when you are reading the Hunger Games, surfing Pinterest and working on Turbo Tax.I'm still here and we are all doing fine. I would throw in a cute picture, but I am on my iPad and the Darn BlogPress app is not cooperating.Posts on tap: Shoe polish - who knew?Purge project: jewelryScore one for Yaya

Three Jars - online allowance tracking

2012-01-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was raised with a very deliberate and organized allowance system. My Mom, aka "YaYa", kept a paper ledger for each of us showing our weekly allowance and any spending. I can remember going to the little local grocery store, buying some Swedish Fish and then coming home and deducting the amount I spent from my allowance balance.

When I decided to start giving Stella and Hudson an allowance, I quickly realized that I needed an easy system. For a few months I tried giving them actual money because I believe that it is good for kids to learn about money by actual having and using real money. However, I never seemed to have the correct change--or any money at all, for that matter--and so pretty soon my allowance system broke down.

Enter the 2012 version of the paper ledger system:

www.threejars.com

One of the things I really like about this system is that every dollar that goes in is split into three jars - Save, Spend and Share. You can set the percentage of each allowance payment.

I have ours set like this:
50% - Save
40% - Spend
10% - Share

If the kids do a special job to earn extra money, you can either have the same split or it could all go in their Spend jar. When they are ready to use the money from one of their jars, you make a "withdrawal" and it keeps track of it for you. So far Hudson hasn't made any withdrawals, and Stella has pretty much spent her "Spend" jar down to nothing. Her three transactions:

$3.50 - a book at her school book fair
$2.50 - a new app for the iPad - Bartleby's Book of Buttons Part 2
$9.49 - a huge pack of dry erase markers from Costco

She is currently earmarking her "Save" jar for a horse. I haven't had the heart to tell her that at her current earnings rate, it will take her 34 years to buy a horse that costs $2,500. I just keep telling her that she better start doing some extra paid jobs to increase her savings.

Vivian's ABR hearing test - take 3

2012-01-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

This time, we were smart. At least maybe smarter.

Vivian needed another ABR(Auditory Brain-stem Response) hearing test. These are the ones that we have to have done in Billings, and she is supposed to be sound asleep. One of the reasons she needed to do another one is that she was not sound asleep for the first two.

This time we went to Billings the night before the test so we could manipulate her sleep/wake times before the test the next day. We decided to make it a fun little get-a-way for the whole family. Even Pouli & YaYa came.

Here are the kids in the hotel before swimming.

Vivian's first swim!

I don't think she likes the water...what do you think?

Here we are the next morning trying to keep her awake in the hotel room. You would not believe how long this bag of Doritos kept her entertained.

The waiting room of the audiologist's office...still awake!

I thought this was seriously cute, but a little freaky at the same time. They have to rough up her forehead and then attach this electrode with a snap on it. Still awake...

All hooked up and ready to go. Still awake but getting very sleepy. She ended up sleeping like an angel. We got all the testing done that they needed to complete her hearing profile. Yeah!!! I didn't take any pictures because I was afraid of waking her up. I don't think Aaron or I hardly moved a muscle the whole hour and a half.

(I just realized that the bottle looks HUGE in those pictures. )

Mr. Yost is famous

2012-01-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe famous is a bit of an exaggeration. He did get not just one, but two! stories published in the latest edition of Outside Bozeman magazine.

What a guy.

If you have a few minutes, check them out here:

https://www.outsidebozeman.com/activities/other-activities/wings-wind

https://www.outsidebozeman.com/lifestyle/outdoor-kids/powder-parenting

What is a post without a pic?

The great sled races - Big Sky, MT December - 2011

Build-A-Bear Workshop

2011-12-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

I fully admit, it was a moment of weakness. Vivian's hearing test went well, it was the holidays...

I'd never been in a Build-A-Bear Workshop before. We don't have one in Bozeman. The kids and I went in to check it out at Rimrock Mall in Billings while Mr. Yost was feeding Vivian her bottle after our lunch. We looked around a little and I thought I was going to be super tough. I had Mommy nerves of steel that would allow me to say "no" to any pleas for building a bear.

Then we watch other kids getting their chosen animals stuffed. The nice lady doing the stuffing has them pick out a heart to put into their animal. She tells them cute things like "rub it on your muscles to make your bunny strong" and "rub it on your belly so he'll feel better after all the doggy treats you'll feed him" and "close your eyes, hug it and make a wish for your new friend."

I was mush.

So, back to the front of the store we went to have them pick their animal. I honestly don't even remember if the kids asked for one. At that point I couldn't bear (no pun intended) leaving the store without one.

What is funny is that both kids picked animals that weren't bears. A dog for Stella and a bunny for Hudson.

Hudson getting his stuffed.

The next station after the stuffing is giving them a "bath". It is a an air sprayer that blows their fur all around while they brush them.

All stuffed and washed and ready for some clothes.

Stella picked this outfit first, but later changed to a pink shirt with sequins. She really wanted the outfits that had full dresses and shoes and purses, etc. But see, I really WAS tough. Just one shirt was all each of them got. (The bows were free.)

Vivian liked Build-A-Bear Workshop too!

When you check out, you get a "house" for your animal to go home in. Seriously, the marketing is great. On the way out the door, Mr. Yost was goading me with things like, "What happened to the Purge Princess?" and "This doesn't seem like something a Minimalist Mama would do" and "Didn't you just make the kids give away like 1,241 stuffed animals?"

Yeah, he was right. But it was worth it.

Barnyard by Stella

2011-12-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

My first post is about dogs. I am 6 years old. This is me and my new stuffed animal. I got it at the Build-A-Bear Workshop in Billings. Her name is Chocolate Chip Cookie Sparkle Shine.

Now I am happy, because I got to meet a new person. She is a female puppy. She is 3 months old.

This is my brother's rabbit, Eaty. He is very, very cute.

This is Chocolate Chip Cookie. It's the same one as at the top. And what's different is that shes wearing a sparkly, pink shirt.

This is me. I am 6 years old. I am the owner of Chocolate Chip Cookie.

This is my brother. He is 3 years old. He is holding Eaty and he is pretty cute.

We've created a monster

2011-12-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Stella's reading and writing has TAKEN OFF since starting kindergarten a few months ago. She entertains us daily with little things here and there. We never know what is going to come out on paper. I love it that she is fearless in her writing. She doesn't worry if she is spelling something absolutely correct or how things look. She just has an idea and runs with it.

Here are a couple favorites:

Here's a sign we found taped to the playroom door the other day

Translation:

Rudolf

A famous

singer

sings

Rudolf

the

Red

nosed reindeer

This is a table of contents for a binder she's been putting together -

complete with page numbers

Translation:

Animal facts - page 3

Stella's letters - page 5

Picture Section - page 4

Private - page 6

ABCD page - page 1

Comic page - page 2

This is page 6 "Private"

She told us it is a list of all the bad words she knows. No translation needed :)

Has your house ever looked like this?

2011-12-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

If you ever wondered what a house with three kids really looks like behind closed doors, well, here you go.

This is why I didn't have a blog post for the past week.

We had good intentions this weekend of:

getting the Christmas tree - which we did (see it way in the back?)

putting lights up on our house - which we did

starting a new, one-week meal plan from Real Simple magazine - which we did (salmon with gingery green beans and bok choy - yum)

So, on all those counts, the weekend was a success. The house cleaning? Not so much.

I'm pretty sure the kids will remember the Christmas tree hunt, the sparkling lights and the yummy dinner. Let's hope they forget about the sheer chaos that ensued during the process!

Vivian es de cinco meses

2011-11-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thats right, Vivian is five months!

Why the Spanish? I have no idea really. It could be that Hudson learns Spanish at his preschool, so I see it written every morning. It could be that someone recently told me everyone should know at least one other language and that it should probably be Spanish.

How did I figure out how to write, "Vivian is five months" in Spanish, you might ask.

Two words: Google Translate

Try it.

It is quite entertaining to type things in English, see how they are written in Spanish and then click the little speaker button to hear the pronunciation. For example, I typed, "our home is a pigsty" and got, "nuestra casa es una pocilga." Everything sounds so much cooler in a different language.

I digress...

Here are some pics of a typical evening in the life of our sweet five-month-old Bivers (one of her nicknames that morphed from Hudson not being able to pronounce the "v" before she was born).

Look Stell, I can hold my own bottle!

One of many kisses during her day.

Her first food! Big sister Stella got the honors.

Apparently she was quite ready to start eating cereal. Give it to me! Give it to me!

Yum!

A beer and a babe - the life of a grandpa

Product review: Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In

2011-11-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Along the path to becoming a minimalist mama, I'm encountering situations that call for inventive thinking. This weekend it revolved around Stella's snowpants. We have two pairs of nice Obermeyer bib overalls that we received second-hand. They still look and fit great, but we've noticed they don't repel water like they should. Not surprising after repeated washings. Rather than tossing them out and spending a lot of money on new ones, I wanted to find a way to rehab the existing pairs.

I sent Mr. Yost to REI for a solution. He returned with a bottle of Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In. The bottle cost around $10 and can be used on 3 garments. I figured if it worked, it was worth the $3.

I need to disclose that we couldn't find any directions on the bottle. It didn't say anywhere how much to use, how to use it, etc. We looked on the company's website only to have it say, "see the bottle for directions." Finally, a Google search led me to peel away the sticker label on the back to reveal the information. It was a little irritating that there wasn't "peel here" or something like that. Nevertheless, we were now ready to give it a try.

We did a "before" test by dropping some water onto the backside of the snow pants. You can see that the first initial drops did bead up, but within a few seconds, they'd soaked in.

We ran them in our front-load washer with two caps full of the product, dried them on low, then tested them again.

This picture is right after I dropped the water. My trusted assistant was out wrangling kids during the "after" test, so I don't have the exact same picture as above. You can see that virtually all of the water is beading up.

*The pants look like they are a different color than before, but I think it is just the difference in light from morning to afternoon.

This picture was taken about a minute after I put the water on. I then carried them out to the garage for Mr. Yost to see and the water still hadn't soaked in. I am calling it a success! If I notice any results that change my conclusion after she's worn them in the snow, I'll update the post.

Thanksgivings past

2011-11-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

While looking through old photos on the computer this evening I came across these pictures from Thanksgiving weekend 2003. I felt compelled to share.

Here are Mr. Yost and I doing....what? It appears to me that we must have been "stalking" our Christmas tree. Perhaps the hunter-orange vests gave us this idea?

Ahhhh, the fresh smell of pine. This is what you take pictures of before you have kids, I guess.

Oh look, now we are dragging it down the hill. Definitely picture worthy.

Hi, Boise - thanks for helping us tie our tree to the top of the Suby.

Yes, those were the days...Carharts, fleece vests and a dirty Suby...good times, good times.

Purge Project: Lions & Tigers & Bears - Oh My!

2011-11-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

We've been cooped-up in the house the last two weekends with various family members having various illnesses. While it hasn't been thrilling, it was a good opportunity to go through more items in my ongoing quest to be a moderately minimalist Montana Mama. Go ahead - try to say that 3 times real fast

Weekend total of items that will no longer be floating around our house: 165!

Animals that are not stuffed:
Looks can be deceiving with this group. There were a TON of little tiny plastic bugs floating around our house that got added to the category. Am I happy that those 123 little buggers will no longer be lurking under-foot everywhere I go? You betcha!

Started with: 143!
Each child kept 10
Final purge tally: 123

~ A few of the survivors ~

"Look out baby bear! There is a Texas Longhorn RIGHT behind you!"

My coats and jackets:
This one was interesting because I have a fondness for coats and jackets, yet we don't technically have a coat closet. What this means is that they have been stashed all over the house and garage. I was surprised when I finally rounded them all up to realize I had 13. This doesn't even include "technical" wear such as ski jackets and fleeces.
Started with: 13
Kept: 6
Final purge tally: 7 (donated 5 and will try to consign 2)

Horses & ponies:
I gave Stella the task of choosing her 10 favorite items from the group of horses and ponies I rounded up. Once again, I used the yellow dots on the floor and then just left her to the challenge. It was very surprising to me that she quickly picked her favorites and only had nine. She looked up at me and said, "Do I have to pick 10?" Hah! Here I am thinking I am such a mean mommy and she was totally content with 9. In the end she did pick one more, but it made me realize once again that I don't give the kids enough credit.

Started with: 25
Stella kept 10
Final purge tally: 15

Cars & trucks:
I wish I would have taken pictures of this group, because it was interesting to see that Hudson picked the 10 smallest cars and trucks from the pile. No big battery-operated, bells and whistles vehicles for this guy. He preferred the little Matchbox car type of toys. The 20 that we removed from circulation freed up a lot of space because of their size.
Started with: 30
Hudson kept 10
Final purge tally: 20

New ear molds

2011-11-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Vivian had her appointment last Wednesday at the audiologist. The new, and bigger ear molds were in, so the audiologist took the old ones off and fitted the new ones. We got to bring the old ones home to keep in her baby box to show what her very first pair looked like!

I tried to take some pictures to show the difference, but my photography skills were lacking today. The main difference is that the part that goes in her ear is longer. (The new one is hooked to the hearing aid on the left) There is also a little extra piece molded in at the top that is meant to help secure them in her ear.

The next steps are to have a check-up in a month with the audiologist, schedule another ABR test in Billings in early 2012 and finally get together with the coordinator from the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. You know, in all our free time...

She seems to be growing and thriving right before our eyes. No rolling-over yet, but it could be any day. She loves playing with toys. Especially ones she can get up to her mouth so she can drool on them.

Hudson seems to have a special bond with her that includes "helping" her roll over and over and over. He is also fond of using her as a prop to show off his amazing leaping skills. No special treatment for this little girl!

Photo Booth - the app that never gets old

2011-11-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

Whenever we've had a long day and need a laugh, nothing gets us going like Photo Booth. Here are some fun ones I picked out of the lineup from the past year.

Storing nuts for the winter

Contemplative artist

(this is one that I found later without even knowing she was on the computer at the time)

Flash forward 50 years?

Early Saturday morning

Stuffed animal slim-down

2011-11-05T21:24:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday's purge project was focused on the kids' stuffed animals. I know, I know, I'm a really mean mommy, aren't I? Kids are supposed to have stuffed animals during their childhood. They promote creative play and foster attachments. Why would I want to take that away?

Let me give you a little back-story...

We have a fantastic bonus room/play room over the garage. Over the past few years we've done some work to make it a cozy, homey place for us to all hang out. The idea is to have it be a multi-purpose area for watching movies, playtime, etc. The newest addition was a sectional couch that we absolutely love. The odd part of this room is that is a long, rectangular shape with the door right in the middle. Recently, we (or I should say Mr. Yost) got so tired of all the toys littering the room, that he decided one half of the long room would be a toy-free zone. Here is a picture of that side:

aaahhhh, peace and tranquility

And now, the other side...

ahhhhh! mayhem!

He even went so far as to put a piece of tape down the middle so that the kids would have a visual barrier. Don't you love how it even goes up the side of the toy box?

As you can see, the kids have PLENTY of toys. The funny thing is, hardly any of the stuffed animals were even in this room. Most of them were in their bedroom. I obviously still have a lot of toy-purging projects to come.

While Mr. Yost and the kids were gone, I rounded up as many of the stuffed animals as I could find. I ended up with 86 little critters.

I decided I was going to let the kids each pick their 10 favorite animals. To tell you the truth, I was expecting a huge resistance. I thought Stella would throw a fit and ask for more, so I was starting low with 10 so I'd have some negotiating room. Before they got home, I put two sets of 10 little yellow sticker dots on the floor. This would be where they could each put their choices. You know, like a game - wink, wink.

As soon as they got home, I went to tell them about the "special challenge" I had for them in the playroom. Hudson had fallen asleep in the car, so Stella came up by herself.

To my amazement, she didn't balk at only being able to pick 10. She got right to business filling up her yellow dots. Along the way she would find ones she liked better and traded them out for the ones she'd already chosen.

When Hudson woke up, we asked him if he wanted to pick his 10. He was in a "just woke up" crabby mood. So, we ended up picking on his behalf.

Hudson's menagerie

Stella's friends

Final tally:

Started with 86 stuffed animals

Stella: 10

Hudson: 10

Mr. Yost: 2 (he claims they are for his classroom?)

Bagged up for a garage sale: 64!

Minimalist Mission

2011-11-04T06:32:00.001-06:00

The act of adding another person to our house this summer got me thinking about how much STUFF we have. Trying to fit all the baby paraphernalia back into our already full house made it even more apparent. Towards the end of my maternity leave, two things sparked my interest in becoming a moderately minimalist mom.

The first event was getting the chance to finally rid my wardrobe of maternity clothes. It was a huge project that took a full week of spending about 2-3 hours a day on it. I ended up not getting rid of jut maternity clothes. I also purged everything that was old, stained or if I just didn't think I would wear it. While I don't have a final accounting, my guess is that I removed close to 60% of my wardrobe items. It was incredibly liberating!

About the same time, I read an article in Montana Parent magazine about how the average American household has 350,000 items in it.

350,000!

When you think about how everyone one of those items needs to be maintained in some way - washed, folded, organized, repaired, put away, etc. - it is no wonder why we feel like all of our free time is spent taking care of our STUFF.

So, how am I going to accomplish my new minimalism mission? My plan is tackle one area a week. Mr. Yost has started taking Stella & Hudson out to his school every Sunday morning for a few hours. This is now my purge time. Mine and Vivian's, I should say. The two areas I've tackled over the last two weeks have been kid's books and stuffed animals. I took pictures of the stuffed animal project and will post on it later this weekend.

Trouble commenting?

2011-11-02T13:21:00.000-06:00

I've had numerous people (you know, because I have SO many followers) tell me that they are having problems commenting on blog posts. I just made some changes to the settings, so...try to comment to this post to see if it works now. If you still have problems, email me and I'll keep working on a fix.

And now, a picture to reward you for reading my boring post about fixing the comments feature.

Update on the Viv

2011-10-30T21:00:00.001-06:00

~ Another picture from Yellowstone last week ~

Vivian seemed a tad unsettled this week. As I look back over the week, I guess I can see why.

Tuesday brought her 4-month well baby check at the pediatrician's office. Thankfully, it was a Super Yaya day, so she was able to assist. She weighed in at 13 lbs, 6 oz...right at the middle of the growth chart. That's my girl. The appointment also brought lots of things that Yaya was not so happy to have to witness:

4 immunizations including three shots and one oral

one urine sample for analysis related to trying to pinpoint or rule out causes for her hearing loss (Luckily, she peed in the little stick-on bag right as the doctor was saying they could just catheterize her. Apparently, all you have to say is, "catheterize" and even a baby will pee immediately.)

one large (for a baby anyway) tube of blood for another test ordered by the ENT doctor. I didn't realize that they take blood from their arm just like they do on adults. Good thing Mr. Yost wasn't there...let's just say he doesn't do well with that particular body fluid.

She was a champ through all of it. By the time we were checking out of the office she was back to her sweet, smiley self.

The next day was her first follow-up for her hearing aids. Everything has been going pretty smoothly with them up to this point. We've had to change batteries twice and should probably be cleaning them more often than we do. The only real concern we had was that she was getting a lot of the whistling, feedback noise. It is caused by the sound that is getting amplified escaping before it gets all the way into her ear. To fix it, the audiologist decided to do new ear mold impressions. This time she did them a little deeper and they are supposed to have some kind of extra thing (we can't remember what she called it) that will help them stay in her ears more tightly. Since it will take about two weeks for them to come in, she turned down the amplification to reduce the feedback for the time being.

Let's see, what else...oh yeah, she's had a quite a bugger of a cold. Runny nose, goopy eye, etc. She is back to sleeping in the swing to keep her more upright. Otherwise, the congestion keeps her up all night.

As if all of that wasn't enough, what did I discover this morning? Teeth!!! Yep, two little chompers poking through her bottom gums. Here's hoping for a less traumatic week for our little Vivers.

We heart Yellowstone - Blast from the past

2011-10-26T21:10:00.000-06:00

Our day trip to Yellowstone last weekend reminded me of a very similar trip Mr. Yost and I took in July, 2003. Here are some pics from that trip...

The same: Mr. Yost's zest for life

Different: Mr. Yost's hang time

The same: Lamar Valley (Serengeti of the West)

Different: My bangs

The same: Still have that North Face fleece

Different: The opportunity to lay your head on a rock and relax

The same: We love day trippin

Diferrence: We ALL love day trippin

We heart Yellowstone Park

2011-10-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

One of the joys of being a Montana Mama is getting to do things like taking day trips to Yellowstone Park. We wanted to get one more trip in before the weather turned cold. It was a perfect day...very few people, nice crisp fall weather and generally happy kids.

After a picnic lunch we all explored the surroundings. We saw lots of evidence of large wildlife, but luckily we didn't actually see any while we were out of the car. Those Yellowstone bears have caused some fear in my heart that has never been there before. I think bear spray will be on one of our Christmas lists this year. This was Vivian's second trip to Yellowstone, but her first with her "ears on" as we are starting to say. She was a doll! A little sleeping, a little eating and some smiling at her reflection in the headrest mirror.

Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam...

Hello Beartooths!

Shhhh...I don't want to spill the beans on a fantastic swimming hole that we discovered. All I can say is that it was right next to where they are walking. We will definitely be going back next summer when the weather is warmer.

By three o'clock, the kids were craving ice cream and we were craving coffee. We drove by this little place in Cooke City and low and behold, it was actually open. I splurged on an espresso float - yowzers, it was good! It was one of those special little places that we will remember and hopefully visit again.

On our way back to Gardiner, we ran across this fella (and about 20 of his ladies) in the middle of the road. The kids were freaking out, Mr. Yost was snapping pictures and I was reveling in the Yellowstoness of it all. Stella keeps telling everyone that we got caught in a "major bison jam."

After a decent dinner at Outlaw Pizza in Gardiner, we jammied up in the back of the Sienna. Yes, we are those people with the back of the van open and half-naked children bouncing around. We wouldn't have it any other way!

A few fav kid apps

2011-10-21T21:33:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned how I really love our iPad? Oh yes, I believe have devoted almost as much blog press to it as our daughter's hearing loss. That is a little messed up. Nevertheless, here I go again.

One of the iPad's best features is the range and quality of apps for kids. It amazes me every time I see Stella and Hudson navigating their way through the software. Another thing I like about apps -- they don't take up any physical space in our house! Also, we can buy a new one as a special treat or reward without having to enter a retail outlet which inevitably leads to other purchases.

Here are a few of our favs:

BrainPOP
*free*
Ages: 4+ (Hudson watches it with Stella, but I think most of it is a little over his head)
Of all the apps we have so far, this one is my favorite. It is an educational app that has a 2-3 minute video everyday about various topics. Some examples include The Nobel Prize, black holes, and pasteurization. After the kids (okay, or adults) watch the video, you can take a quiz to see how much you learned. You could also take it before, see how much you do or don't know already and then watch the video. The characters in every video are a silly cartoon guy named Tim and a robot named Moby that only says, "beep." Somehow, it all comes together to make an incredibly cohesive package that explains complex topics in an easy to understand format. If I were a homeschooler, we would watch this app each morning, call the school day done and then play for the rest of the day!

Bartleby's Book of Buttons Vol 1: The Far Away Sea
*$0.99?* - I think it was more than that when we originally bought it
Ages: 3+
This is one of the apps that highlights the amazing things programmers can do on the iPad. It is part book, part game, part puzzle. On each page, you have to figure out what buttons to push or switches to toggle in order to get a "green light" to be able to go to the next page. It is another one that is fun for kids and adults. They just released Volume 2 this month which costs $3.99. We haven't purchased it yet. I'm trying to think of a good chore that I could ask the kids to do and then bribe, I mean incentivize, them with getting the next volume.

Drawing Pad
*$1.99*
Ages: 1+
Again, this app highlights what is so captivating about getting to play on the iPad. It is very simple and intuitive to use. You basically open the app, choose your paper, choose a writing utensil and draw, scribble or paint away. The graphics for the crayons and markers are so lifelike that I feel like I'm opening a brand new Crayola box every time. You can also add shapes and stickers or draw on top of a photo that is saved on your iPad. One of the neat features is that you can save the kid's drawings and then either print, email or post them right to Facebook. I like it because it truly is a blank slate that allows incredible creativity. Oh, and I like that you can't actually draw on household items. Say for instance, like someone drawing on our nice oak end table with a blue Sharpie...not that I am upset about that or anything.

If you have any favorites, feel free to comment and tell me about them. Hopefully I'll review a few more favs every month or so.

- Posted by Montana Mama using BlogPress from my iPad

Hearing aids - the first days

2011-10-16T21:17:00.000-06:00

It has been hard to find time to sit down and reflect on Vivian's first days. I wonder why?

Hear are a few more pictures and details from the actual appointment.

I like this picture a lot. It captures the fact that she is hearing the sound of Mr. Yost's voice and turning towards it.

The little animal that Mr. Yost is holding is Otto the otter. He is the OtiKids mascot that came with Vivian's hearing aids. Otto has his own little set of hearing aids that velcro to his ears. It has been fun to watch Stella and Hudson play with Otto and his hearing aids. They enjoy getting to play with them and touch them. It seems to satisfy their curiosity without having to touch the real things. Hudson, in particular, has taken quite a liking to Otto. He calls him Otis, the bear - don't argue with a three-year-old.

Here is a view from the back. How cute is her little bald spot with the hearing aids sticking out on the sides?

This is a good look at the whole hearing aid from the side. You can see the clear ear mold, the tube that connects the pieces and the actual hearing aid that goes behind her little hear. The pink part houses the microphone on the top and the battery compartment that rests on the back of her ear.

Since Wednesday we've had many positive experiences of her reacting to new sounds. Today I was working in Stella & Hudson's room while listening to Miles Davis. She was laying on Hudson's bottom bunk with her head turned toward the CD player, eyes open and stayed perfectly still for about 10 minutes. It has also been fun to watch her realize that the toys on all her baby apparati make noise.

The days haven't been without some challenges. Like on Thursday night when she was laying on the floor while we were making dinner. Within a few seconds she'd reached up to her right ear, pulled off the hearing aid and brought it straight to her mouth. I'd honestly never thought about the fact that she could
A. choke to death on one of them
and
B. slobber all over a $3400 piece of sensitive technology.

Also, she seems to get tired more quickly with the overwhelming noise that accompanies two adults, a 6-year-old, a three-year-old and a cat. As a side note, you'll notice I didn't mention the fish. That is because
A. Red fire scale didn't make a whole lot of noise
and
B. she died this week and has been put to rest in the City of Bozeman waste water treatment plant.

Our next appointment is in a week and a half. My guess is that she will already need to get fitted for new ear molds. We will also do some more tests to make sure that the amplification is appropriate. For now, we will be keeping track of her reactions to different sounds and trying to keep the little things safe and sound so they keep providing our sweet girl with the best sound possible.

Vivian's First Sounds

2011-10-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

What an amazing day.

I plan to post more about her appointment later this week.

For now, I will let the video tell the story...

Wednesday is hearing aid day!

2011-10-10T21:51:00.001-06:00

Vivian's appointment is scheduled for Wednesday morning. I am feeling a whole mix of emotions - excited, anxious, apprehensive...

I am excited for her to start hearing everything she has been missing. It will be so interesting to see how she responds to our voices. I'm wondering how she will react to her own voice as well. She has started shrieking lately when she is excited. I don't remember Stella and Hudson ever being quite so vocal. It makes me wonder if she can her herself when she is makes that loud screech. While I can't wait for her to be introduced to all of the new sounds,I'm also worried about whether or not it will change her sweet little personality. She is so easy-going right now in her muffled little world. I have this picture in my mind of her with her eyes in a permanent state of shock and awe. I'm sure it won't be as dramatic as that, but she will probably get tired from all of the new stimulation. At least we will take them off at night!

Our plan is to try and video her first reactions. However, I can't promise that it will actually happen. If it does, I will post the video later this week. Otherwise, we'll at least get some pictures of her sporting her new accessories. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Does it fit?

2011-10-09T21:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday marked the start of the winter season in our household. It was the annual Bridger Raptor Fest at Bridger Bowl and the purchase of the kids' season ski passes. This year I decided to add a new tradition to the weekend. It was a little game called, "Does it fit?" It was followed by, "If it fits, does it have a name label in it?" Sounds thrilling, right?

Right after Saturday morning cartoons, Mr. Yost and I started the first round which was hats and gloves. The game went like this: We made a line for each individual of all the hats and gloves we'd collected from around the house. At the end of the line was a treat, such as a small bag of M&M's. If they made it all the way through the line, they got the treat at the end. The other two rounds were coats & snow pants and then gear (ski boots, skis, helmets, goggles, ice skates, etc.) I wish I'd taken pictures of the mounds of things the kids tried on. It was quite a sight.

Stella powered through the first two rounds, got her chocolate fix and then had to be coerced into finishing the gear round. Hudson was the opposite. He just wanted the skis and skates...forget the hats and gloves! All-in-all, it was very successful. We are now ready for whatever winter wants to throw our way.

Here is Hudson towards the end of the gear round. He is sporting cross country ski gear, animal pajamas and a downhill helmet.

Stella trying on her balaclava, goggles and sweet new helmet we bought at the end of the season last year. We decided she has the nicest helmet of all of us now.

Ahhh...the end of "Does it fit"...wait a second, is it possible for his legs to be in that position? Oh, to be 3 again and have joints like gumbi!

In case anyone cares, here are the labels I have for each of the kids. I'd ordered Stella's 3 or 4 years ago. I just recently ordered sets for Hudson and Vivian. They are from namebubbles.com.

Here are some photos from Raptor Fest:

Stella - AKA American Kestrel

Hudson is already taking after his Daddy - he was meant to be in the mountains.

The icing on the cake - $5 Season Passes to Bridger Bowl

Bring on the snow!

10 reasons why I love my iPad - in memory of Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T20:45:00.001-06:00

Watching my 95-year-old Grandpa light up at the sheer silliness of Angry Birds.

Boggle and Scrabble are an instant stress-reliever for Mr. Yost.

Witnessing Stella's creativity when she edits photos.

Hudson's sense of accomplishment when he finishes a puzzle or navigates to his favorite book app.

It is a great alternative to a car DVD player.

Using it in the camper to play soothing music while the kids wind down and eventually fall asleep.

Netflix whenever and wherever...there is always enough time to squeeze in an episode of Pawn Stars.

Listening to a Pandora kids station while the kids are in the tub.

Seeing Yaya use Facebook, email and surfing the web like I never thought possible.

If I fall asleep while reading my eBook, it picks up right where I left off the next time I turn it on.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Vivian update - just chillin

2011-09-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

I haven't written any updates on Vivian's hearing situation lately because frankly, there hasn't been anything to update. We are still waiting for the hearing aids to get to the audiologist. Here is what our sweet Vivi has been up to in the meantime...

Chillin on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons with her big sis and big bro

(They must be watching Peep, our favorite)

Chillin on the baby activity mat gazing at her favorite light-up star

Chillin on the boppy watching her reflection in the mirror

Chillin in the bouncy seat charming us with her adorable smile.

"Home-made" microwave popcorn - who knew?

2011-09-24T20:19:00.000-06:00

We have family movie night every friday night at our house. For refreshments, we always have the same thing: popcorn and orange julius's (apparently not a word).

Growing up, we always used one of those yellow air-popper machines that melted the butter in the cool little tray on the top. I loved the flavor of that popcorn, but I got hooked on microwave popcorn in college. I guess I just liked the ease of throwing in a bag and not having any appliances to clean afterwards. However, now that we have kids, I've started to worry a little about the extra ingredients in the bags.

A few years back I remember reading about a guy who got some weird disease from opening too many bags of microwave popcorn. We've got enough to worry about without having think about our kids getting "microwave popcorn lung."

As it turns out, there is a healthier and more affordable alternative that is just as easy. Who knew!?!

Buy regular popcorn kernels -- this jar was probably around $4.50
Brown paper lunch bags - $1.99 for 100
Pour 1/4 cup of the kernels into the bag
Fold the bag over at the top two times so that it is tight
Microwave until you hear the popping slow down - about 1 min 45 seconds in our microwave
Top with whatever makes you happy - melted butter, salt, something spicy
Enjoy!

So true

2011-09-21T21:01:00.000-06:00

I received an email forward from my co-worker, Brenda, today. It was meant as advice for parents-to-be, but I thought this part summed up exactly what Mr. Yost and I have been feeling like this week.

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

It would just be easier

2011-09-19T21:17:00.000-06:00

It would just be easier

to stay home, clean the house and not drive through Yellowstone Park on a September Saturday.

to stay inside, do laundry and not get two kites stuck in a tree on a Sunday afternoon.

(The little white dot right in the middle of the sky is the second kite which flew out of Stella's hands, got tangled with Hudson's and then ended up tethered to a tree 500 ft over the subdivision)

to let them watch TV and not get down on the floor to build and create with them.

It would just be easier

but no one ever said it would be easy.

Who knew hard could be so fun?

2011-09-17T21:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was my last official day of maternity leave. I had visions of taking Vivian for a nice leisurely stroll in the September sunshine, having lunch downtown with Keely and maybe even squeezing in a nap. Instead, I got:

Half an inch of rain

Two clothes-staining diaper blowouts

A trip to urgent care with a streppy kindergartner

A subsequent trip to get antibiotics in the downpour with a fussy baby and the other with a 104 degree fever.

And for lunch..wait, did I even eat lunch yesterday?

Yep. I think it is time to go back to work.

Fitted for hearing aids

2011-09-16T11:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had our first appointment with the audiologist in Bozeman. She will be our go-to lady for Vivian's hearing aids from here on out. Her recommendation was for a mid-level pediatric hearing aid made by Oticon called the Safari. You wouldn't believe the things you can do with these things. When Vivi is older she can have them connect directly to an iPod, cell phone or TV. Too cool.

You can check them out here:
Safari hearing aids

At this point though, we just need to get her hearing better so she has the best possible chance to develop her speech and language. The first step was to get the impressions for the ear molds. This is the part of the hearing aid that actually goes into her ear. It is essentially like when I got impressions of my teeth when I had braces. The audiologist put a little tiny sponge with a string in each ear first. Then she mixed up some pink goo and used a big syringe to squirt it into hear ears. After a few minutes of drying, she pulled them out, put them in a little box and shipped them off to the hearing aid company.

Since she is so little, we will need to repeat this process about every 3 months for the first two years. We've been told that the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind will pay for the cost of the new molds. The hearing aids themselves have a lifespan of about 4-5 years.

We thought that she might be fussy, uncomfortable or scared during this process. Nope. She just sat on Aaron's lap and looked around. What a trooper.

So now, we wait for a call that her hearing aids and the ear molds have come in. In one or two weeks we will get to see what this technology can do for our sweet baby.

And so it begins...

2011-09-15T20:38:00.000-06:00

Against my better judgement, I've decided to start a blog. I know, I know, just what everyone needs, another blog to follow. Actually, the real reason for the blog is to give updates on Vivian's hearing situation. It seems hard to find just the right form of communication to update everyone. Facebook...too "statusy", email...too "who did I forget to add to the distribution list", twitter...okay, I have to admit that I haven't ever tweeted (shhhh, don't tell anyone). So, I've decided to try the blog form of electronic communication.

I'd planned to post tonight about Vivan's appointment at the audiologist today, but I really wanted to include a picture. It seems our camera cord is lost in the abyss that is my husband's classroom...more on that subject later, I'm sure. So for now, this will just have to be the introductory post until I can get some real content together tomorrow.

The Montana Mama Blog

Shoe polish - who knew?

Still here

Three Jars - online allowance tracking

Vivian's ABR hearing test - take 3

Mr. Yost is famous

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Barnyard by Stella

We've created a monster

Has your house ever looked like this?

Vivian es de cinco meses

Product review: Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In

Thanksgivings past

Purge Project: Lions & Tigers & Bears - Oh My!

New ear molds

Photo Booth - the app that never gets old

Stuffed animal slim-down

Minimalist Mission

Trouble commenting?

Update on the Viv

We *heart* Yellowstone - Blast from the past

We *heart* Yellowstone Park

A few fav kid apps

Hearing aids - the first days

Vivian's First Sounds

Wednesday is hearing aid day!

Does it fit?

10 reasons why I love my iPad - in memory of Steve Jobs

Vivian update - just chillin

"Home-made" microwave popcorn - who knew?

So true

It would just be easier

Fitted for hearing aids

And so it begins...

We heart Yellowstone - Blast from the past

We heart Yellowstone Park