Life in the Ketchup Bottle: May 2009

Friday, May 01, 2009

Life goes on...

...and I am a bit overwhelmed by it sometimes.

I know I haven't posted in a long while. The last day of tax season Jeff (and other employees; like maybe a fifth to a quarter of the total employees) got laid off. So I've been proofreading resumes, etc. as he searches for a new job.

We've been doing all the normal stuff, and trying to catch up on what got left behind during tax season. Tomorrow we are going to drop the kids at my mom's while we go to the laundromat and do scads of laundry.

Bridget has been super-cranky the last few days. I have a sore throat and icky nose, I wonder if she does too?

We are still trying to find a dentist who will work on Emma's teeth. We've been trying for a year. This last open enrollment we switched to a different dental plan, we still can't find someone who will see her sooner than six months from now. One tooth is almost gone it's so decayed (she has very soft teeth. We take good care of them but when her adult teeth come in I'm going to have them sealed. She just has like no enamel for some reason.) We did finally get an appointment for the renal imaging she needs done. I don't know how she's going to do with that, it's a shot and then she has to lay still for at least half an hour while they do multiple five minute series of images. Hmmm. I don't know how they expect a five year old to lie still in a strange place while nervous for that long with no sedation... We'll do our best though.

I did some water aerobics in the spa today. The girls (well Emma and Bridey) were in with me and copied. They thought it was fun. The neighbor kids thought we were insane, but I don't care; they're kind of rude kids a lot of the time anyway...

I got an awesome stroller, carrycot, and European infant seat (which will not be used to transport a child, of course, but is fun for the kids to put their dolls in in the house) last week and it's really nice. And it cost very little-- especially compared to the price I looked up for it!

I am super stoked for my class next week. I think I am just going to have a fantastic time!

We had the girls' birthday party. I'll post an account and pics when I get them off the camera; my mom took the box it was in home with her and we haven't got it yet.

So that's life right now... Hope you reading this are all well. :)

More Ketchupy advice on how to keep your child safe in the car

Make sure the seat you are using is the safest possible for your child's weight, height, and age, and used in the safest configuration possible.
Make sure the seat you are using is not expired. (Yes, they expire! They can weaken over time. Don't use an expired seat-- or for that matter, an outdated one, such as a car seat with an overhead shield, which are not generally considered safe.)
Never use a seat that has been in a crash (don't use it if you're not sure if it has been in a crash, either.)
ALWAYS read your car seat manual AND your car's manual to find out the best way to properly install your child's car seat!
Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. One year and 22 lbs. is the MINIMUM, not the actual limit, or even the current recommendation. I am proud to say that all 3 of my girls are currently rear-facing, the oldest 2 in higher-weight rear-facing seats! Having bent legs or legs hitting the back of the seat does NOT mean that the child is too big to rear-face, and is not dangerous. There are now seats that rear-face to 40 lbs. and beyond.
Once your child turns forward-facing, keep her in a harnessed seat as long as possible, including buying a higher weight limit seat if you need to (and if possible.) 4 years and 40 lbs. is the MINIMUM, there are seats that go up to 65 and even 80 lbs. as a harnessed seat.
Make sure your seat fits your child and that you're buckling him in correctly. Check weight limits carefully. When rear-facing, straps should be just at or below your child's shoulders, and there should be no less than 1 inch between her head and the top of the seat. When forward facing, straps should be at or above the shoulders, and the top of the ears should not be above the top of the car seat. In a harnessed seat, the chest buckle should be over the nipples, with the top approximately at the level of the armpits. The harness should always be tight enough that you can not pinch any slack in it if you try. In a high-back booster, the belt should be correctly positioned across the child's chest and shoulder, and the tips of the child's ears should not be above the top of the booster.
Don't put your child in the car in a heavy winter coat or snow suit, especially in a harnessed seat! Remove thick coats before getting in the car; use blankets and/or thin fleece coats that you don't have to re-adjust the harness for, or buckle your child in and then put the coat back on backwards, or use it for a blanket, so it doesn't interfere with correct tightening of the straps.
Always make sure your child's seat is securely installed before buckling him in. Use whatever devices are necessary to get a tight fit, including LATCH according to guidelines up to 40 lbs., and locking clips for older seatbelts. Always make sure seatbelts used to install a seat are locked, whether by a locking clip or device or by pulling the belt all the way out before letting it retract (in newer vehicles.)
Never use LATCH belts and a seatbelt at the same time to install a car seat. This can put too much strain on the seat. Use one or the other. This doesn't apply to the top tether-- you may use the top tether after you have switched to seatbelt installation (see above links.)
When you must move your child to a booster, choose a high-back booster for as long as possible. Most experts agree that 6 years old is the youngest most childrens' hips are developed enough to distribute a seatbelt correctly, even with a booster, and a high-back booster provides more protection for your child's head and neck as long as s/he fits in it.
Never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. If there is a lap belt only seat in your car, the ONLY child who should be seated there is one in a five-point harness car seat installed with the lap belt (or LATCH if your car is equipped with it.)
ALWAYS read your car seat manual AND your car's manual to find out the best way to properly install your child's car seat!
Make sure the seat you are using is not expired. (Yes, they expire! They can weaken over time. Don't use an expired seat-- or for that matter, an outdated one, such as a car seat with an overhead shield, which are not generally considered safe.)
Never use a seat that has been in a crash (don't use it if you're not sure if it has been in a crash, either.)

Friday, May 01, 2009

Life goes on...

Life in the Ketchup Bottle

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Ketchup probably won't save your child's life-- but proper car seat usage might.

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