Monday, August 25, 2008

Christmas in August

Video box for Baby Einstein: Baby Santa's Music BoxYou could potentially walk into our house any day of the year, look over at what's playing on DVD, and think Christmas. That's because Joy's very favorite videos are Baby Einsteins, and one of the most favorite of the favorite is Baby Santa. These magical videos are about the only thing that can keep Joy somewhat occupied for a span of more than a minute or two without direct intense supervision. So we've heard the Baby Einstein Orchestra do Jingle Bells so often we could sing it in our sleep.

But wait, there's more. This year, Christmas in August also means that I washed my last load of cloth diapers this weekend. After six years of stinky launderings, I am SO done. Wahoo! Joy hasn't been the slightest bit interested in potty training. [Clarification edit: and she still isn't. No, we are not done with diapers per se. We are not even started being done with diapers.] However, the Medical Assistance under which she receives her intensive autism therapy will also pay for diapers, once a suitably-disabled child turns four. We've gotten through the prior authorization paperwork hoops now, and the first shipment of diapers arrived this week, directly to our door. Talk about your early Christmas presents! I am done saving the environment via cloth diapers, virtuous as it was. It feels great to be saving mama a little bit now.

Last but not least, I also started playing Christmas music this week. I ring handbells with a semi-professional community group, and Saturday was our kickoff rehearsal for this year's Christmas concerts. It's a little incongruous to have Christmas bells ringing in my head already before school starts, but I do love to have that outside interest and sneak away to ring bells with my colleagues! Here's an MP3 clip of "Sleigh Ride" to give you a sense of how we make holiday celebration with handbells. Merry, merry!

5 comments:

Maddy said...

I'm very partial to hand bell ringing which I participated in at school many, many decades ago.

Delighted to hear that you are all diaper free!

Now all you have to do is make sure that you are within running distance of a loo at all times. [good luck with that one!]
Cheers

JoyMama said...

Maddy: No, no, alas -- we're not diaper-free, we're just gettin' free diapers now! Wish it were the other way around, but since it still means no more cloth-diaper laundry, we'll take what we can get.

Anonymous said...

Omigosh! Rhema LOVES Baby Einstein. I mean, totally mesmerized, enthralled, watches them over and over again. I was just saying the other day that I think she enjoys them so much b/c there is not a whole lot of language, and she really enjoys the sounds the puppets make. We don't have the Baby Santa one so I'll have to get it.

That's very cool about the handbells. And I'm glad your (laundry) load has been lightened. 8)

Anonymous said...

Very enjoyable post - thanks! Your good news cheers us all! Barbara

Trish said...

I love hearing hand bell choirs - our church doesn't have one but I sometimes hear them at my inlaws'.

Glad to hear about the diapers; we have a similar provision here in PA and it has been wonderful. Michael is mostly potty trained, so we only get one package of pull-ups per month. Just make sure the doctor checks "no generics" on the prescription or you will get the cheapest diapers known to man!!

Baby Einstein were also Michael's favorites, and he will still pull one out every so often when he gets in the mood. :)