Moose juice, sippy cups and more...

"Moose juice?"

His one and only song request -- to sing the song about a great big moose who likes to drink a lot of juice. It is a song he picked up at playgroup. When I break into verse, I can't get past the first line, before he's jumped ahead to the chorus and starts singing "Way-oh, way-oh, way-oh, way-oh."

The moose's name is Fred, he likes to drink his juice in bed. He drinks his juice with care, but he spilled it in his hair. Poor sticky Fred! If only he had a sippy cup, he wouldn't be in this mess. And didn't someone tell Fred's mom that juice at bedtime is bad for your teeth?

Speaking of sippy cups, I finally found a shop that sells the "Klean Kanteen." It's a stainless steel sippy cup that is free from Bisphenol-A. Great, right? Like everything in life, you have to take the good with the bad. Here is what I view as the good and bad attributes on the Klean Kanteen:

Good:

- No yucky chemicals
- Keeps beverages cold
- Well-made
- nice size

Bad:

- Not dishwasher safe
- A little too cold to the touch, at times
- Easily dented when thrown from grocery cart (can you tell I'm speaking from experience?)
- Hurts when you get bonked on the head with it (remember what Fred Flintstone looked like after being struck in the head? That's me!)
- Expensive! More than $20 which I think is a total rip off.
- Although the container is stainless steel, the sippy nozzle is made out of plastic...so it's not completely plastic-free.
- Don't know how my caregiver is going to feel about heavy, clunky sippy cup being hurtled around her house...

I'm still looking for the perfect sippy cup. Any suggestions, let me know!

The big boy bed also has its good and bad side.

Good:

- He's sleeping better because he's more comfortable. In turn, we're sleeping better too! Bonus!!!
- He feels like a "big boy". Good confidence booster
- Mattress is chemical free, with zero off-gassing. It's made out of organic cotton, with a wool flame retardant.
- He hasn't tried to escape -- not even once! I'm astounded!
- Much cheaper than buying a regular mattress and frame.

Bad:

- Futon must be on a bed frame (to avoid it getting skunky over time). Bed frame makes it high off the ground, increasing risk of falling.
- Bed frame hurts when you clonk your head on it (again, Fred Flintstone)
- Having trouble finding a bed rail that works with the futon. The one we have isn't high enough so I worry about him rolling off the edge of the bed.

Overall, I'd say the futon has been a good purchase.

He's closing in on 20 months now. Here is what is good about that....

Good:

- Getting more independent.
- Is able to walk places, rather than being carted or carried all the time.
- Communicating is getting way easier. Today he said "I want sunglasses" when we got in the car. He'll also say "I want toast," and "I want a bite"
- He loves pretty much everything. It doesn't matter where we take him, he thinks it's an adventure. When we tell him we're going out, he yells "ready!" and runs to the door.
- He is ultra lovable! Something that won't ever change.
- He is starting to put two and two together, so to speak. All of that repetition is starting to pay off.
- Having a 20-month old in the house is a constant source of entertainment. He's so funny sometimes. Like when he stomps his right leg around the room when we sing "when your happy and you know it". Or when he puts his hat on crooked, and his sunglasses on upside down.
- He likes housework! Hand him a hose, and he'll water the plants. Give him the broom and he'll sweep the floor.

I won't write a "bad" list. As a mother, I can easily just overlook the books being tossed in the toilet, the fingerprints on the freshly painted walls, and the other "slight" misdemeanors... Besides, we always laugh about these things later on. Which brings me back to my good point that he is a constant source of entertainment!