Alaska Chat - March - Page 5

[cdanojohnson]

Childcare in Girdwood?

Hey y'all, posted this on craigslist but wanted to throw it out here as well -

Girdwood Childcare? (Girdwood, AK)


Was wondering if anyone knows of part - time child care options in Girdwood? Any in-home caregivers that offer the service, as well as after care for the K-8? I might need such services quite soon. Have tried Little Bears, and while they're wonderful and sweet and reasonable, they only offer full days.

Thank you so much! Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks everyone, hope you're enjoying these beautiful sunny days...

[liza-s]

Local Meat

A great resource for finding local meat is the Alaska Grown Food & Farm Products Directory. (http://dnr.alaska.gov/ag/index.htm - scroll down to a link under "Division Services/ Marketing." It is a little cumbersome and not 100% complete - but is at least a good start. One tab is "Livestock" - you can sort by region. There are over 50 livestock farmers in the interior/northern area. I've found though that the offerings by a single farmer is incomplete. I bought 1/2 a pig from a Palmer farmer (Alex Davis) - but his listing is only for rabbits.

Last summer I made a deposit on my pig ($250 maybe) and paid the balance when he put the pig down in late Oct. The balance was based on the actual weight of the pig and the farmers feed expenses. The farmer took the carcass to Mat Valley Meat for butchering & processing. I ended up with about 100 lbs of pork at about $5.25/lb. Pricey - yes, but it is natural, pastured pork. If you never had pasture-raised pork, it is a little different (drier & leaner), but has a richer taste. it is the best ham I've ever had. Most of the meat we eat is dipnetted salmon & this pork - so I'm actually spending less per week than grocery store meat - especially pastured or organic meat. Plus I feel better knowing the animal was raised well and humanely killed. (I have to admit though, I have too much bacon & sausage and looking to barter it)

A friend got buffalo meat from a farmer - not sure about her details, but she's very happy. The only downside (other than cost and storage space) is much less diversity in the type of red meat we eat. i've already made a deposit for a summer pig (1/2) and will probably try and split it with somebody for another meat.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by liza-s

(I have to admit though, I have too much bacon & sausage and looking to barter it)

I didn't think it was possible to have too much bacon

Thanks for that link--I'm off to see who is here on the Kenai!



In regard to making wraps--I've made a couple. I got the $1/yd fabric at walmart, got 5 1/2 yards (which is what my moby is) and cut it in half lengthwise--also because that's what the moby was (20-22" wide, it was just 44" wide fabric, not 60). I just looked through the sale table and found something with some stretch to it. It's actually very stretchy, and I love it for newborns because I don't have to leave space when i'm putting it on, I can just stretch it around the kiddo, plus there's easy wiggle room for nursing. I used it for my DS from day one. As they get older I end up using the moby because it's a little less-stretchy, and I feel it's more supportive for a heavier child. I also made a solarveil wrap for summertime hiking/swimming (back when I lived in a hotter place ) and there's a learning curve to tying a non-stretchy wrap when you're used to a stretchy one...not that you can't switch back and forth (I do like the 'solidness' of a woven wrap, it feels very strong and supportive for a bigger kid, although I've never felt insecure with my moby either).
ANYWAY, in making your own--I didn't line mine. I like having the two sides look different because it's easier for me to tell if it's twisted when i'm putting it on. I serged my knitted (stretchy) one and did a small rolled hem on the woven (non-stretchy) one. Knitted or woven fabrics are made in a totally different way, which is why one will fray and the other won't. Knitted is made with lots of little interlinked loops, woven is just straight threads going back and forth. The loops will catch on each other and usually not fray--they also have stretch, and usually (though not always) will roll at the edges to some degree. The woven has to be bound off in some way otherwise it will let threads slip out--it also is not stretchy vertically or horizontally, and only a little bit on the diagonal. So hopefully that is helpful in determining which kind of fabric you have/are getting and what you'd need to do with it. (And if that was just clear as mud let me know and I'll try to make it more clear--I've been sewing for SO long that sometimes I forget that not everybody knows all the things I do.)


SO, I've been MIA for three weeks because the computer caught an ugly virus and crashed. Thankfully we were able to start it up in safe mode and retrieve all the data to an external hard drive. Frustratingly our mailbox key broke (mid cold-spell) so even after the hard drive arrived we couldn't get it out of the mailbox for two days because we had to wait for the post office people to come replace our box lock So then we saved our data and went to do the computer system restore, which our computer is supposed to be able to do from the hard drive...but it had apparently crashed too much to manage that. So we had to call and order the restore disc--$20 later (with '2nd day fed ex shipping' which actually took a week) we've got the disc, and it didn't work. It wiped the drive but didn't restore anything!! So I called them and gave them soem grief for an hour until they finally figured out that they had sent the wrong disk. I insisted that they send the right one overnight since I'd paid for fast shipping in the first place--I think they spent abuot $25 to overnight that thing from SC oh well, serves them right, they should learn to send the right thing the first time!! So as of this weekend we FINALLY have a computer up and running again. :sigh what a pain!

Meanwhile baby has figured out how to roll over. He will go back to tummy and that's fine because he likes looking around, but then after a while he'll sortof 'fall' tummy to back, and that startles him every time and makes him cry. It's sad but it's also really adorable and makes me laugh a little bit every time I go to pick him up.
My 9yo told me last week that the school lunches weren't filling him up (he was always asking for a snack as soon as he got home). We qualified for reduced lunch and I can't pack for 40cents/day, plus he was excited about buying there...but I guess after a few months the novelty has worn off and he's ready for quality food again. It's some extra hassle for me, but I'm also glad that I can be sending him with more balanced meals--because what he picked off the cafeteria line wasn't very balanced (even when I'd discuss/remind him of what he should try to eat) and a lot of that has to do with him not having the maturity to grab the apple when there's a rice krispie treat there... Also he likes just a very limited number of fruits/vegetables, so if they didn't offer one he liked he'd skip it altogether...at least with packing a lunch I can make sure to send things that I know he'll eat. thankfully they have a microwave there, so I got an insulated lunchbag and can send him with leftovers that he can heat up

So there's our update.

[roadfamily6now]

Just wanted to let you know that the Alaska Birth Network is going to have a Garage Sale this summer to raise money for our projects. We are looking for donations of all things relating to baby, pregnancy and children. (clothes, toys, furniture, etc!) also we are accepting all donations of any garage sale type stuff.

It will be in Early June, I know it's early but I just wanted to put this out there! Save your stuff ladies.

[heartmommyak]

I'm finally just going to find myself a new doctor. I called mine a month ago with concerns and still no response and it's not even just that, mostly just a huge huge lack of any sort of personalized attention. A friend highly recommended I try Dr. Turgeon. Anyone have any experiences with her? Or a different dr here in the valley? PM me if you're more comfortable discussing privately.

[heartmommyak]

RE: Meat

We were at matvalley meats the other day and I noticed that they now have a all natural, alaskan beef packs available. I think it was 50 lb. for $5.99 a pound so $300 or so. We were stocking up on chicken and pork so we didn't get any but I noticed others here were discussing so I thought I'd share.

[natashaccat]

I'm coming in late to this but I have a Radian carseat that you can try for size if you live in FBKS. these are the narrowest carseats on the market.

I bought two hoping to get three across in my honda civic but my FC ended up being younger than expected so we are using an infant seat for now. So I've got a spare seat that isn't currently installed.

if you post here I should get an email.

[liza-s]

Originally Posted by brightonwoman

I didn't think it was possible to have too much bacon

.
A few years ago a friend signed us up for bacon of the month club. Serious bacon burn-out, espeacially of the non-standard american kind. Mat Valley bacon is very low salt. A pastured-pig is also leaner. If you're craving a BLT, this is not your bacon. It is awesome in soups,k beans and other veggies.

[Icequeen_in_ak]

Hey all... the dust has finally settled and I'm back to try and catch up. My mom died on the 7th of the month. Her last week was brutal for me. She was no longer responsive and required meds every 2 hours.... her brain no longer understood how to swallow, so even though the meds were liquid, she would still choke on them. So I felt like I was torturing her every 2 hours. I was not prepared for how hard that part of hospice care would be. I'm still haunted by those images and imagine I will be for some time. The blessing is that she is no longer in pain. I miss her, but I know she's in a much better place now. I've been keeping myself busy with taking care of her affairs. I imagine when I have no more details to handle, and I have time to sit and think again is when it will really hit me. Right now I think my mind is convinced she's just on vacation.

Becky - I go to Dr. Rebecca White in Palmer. She's an MD, but she's very heavy on the natural approach if that is what you prefer. I think she kind of caters to each patients preference. I've never had an appointment with her where she didn't spend at least an hour with me. She's very very thorough and I really like her.

I've also purchased the natural beef at MV meats. I have for years. They just recently started carrying the local beef, which I just bought a side of. It was $900, but it was for an entire side, which broke down to less than 3 bucks a pound. That will usually last me over a year.

[Icequeen_in_ak]

oh, and speaking of car seats, I have a Britax regent I'm looking to sell if anybody local is interested. I bought a new car that has a gazillion air bags in the back, so I'm finally comfortable enough to let my 6 year old sit in a high back booster in that car. She still has to sit in the regent in the other two vehicles

[Pinoikoi]

Someone mentioned on another board that Target is phasing out Britax, so they are on clearance- not online really, but individual stores that still have stock..

Also, I have some questions about ear piercing.. I read an article about guns vs. needles..

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm

We are starting our research right now (and I already know about the peircing vs non peircing thing) but if we WERE to peirce, I am wondering about ages and recommended places... a friend of mine said that one place will peirce once a child is old enough to request it- just wondering what other restrictions people have heard of (Anchorage area) or physicians that might do it?

[Icequeen_in_ak]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Someone mentioned on another board that Target is phasing out Britax, so they are on clearance- not online really, but individual stores that still have stock..

Also, I have some questions about ear piercing.. I read an article about guns vs. needles..

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm

We are starting our research right now (and I already know about the peircing vs non peircing thing) but if we WERE to peirce, I am wondering about ages and recommended places... a friend of mine said that one place will peirce once a child is old enough to request it- just wondering what other restrictions people have heard of (Anchorage area) or physicians that might do it?

We just recently had my daughters ears pierced. She had been checking it out for the last couple of years, and finally decided she was ready (she's 6). We had hers done at one of the mall places with the gun. They were piercing a babies ears right before hers were done, so they don't seem to have any regulation as to age. I never knew there was any danger with the guns.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

Also, I have some questions about ear piercing.. I read an article about guns vs. needles..

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm

We are starting our research right now (and I already know about the peircing vs non peircing thing) but if we WERE to peirce, I am wondering about ages and recommended places... a friend of mine said that one place will peirce once a child is old enough to request it- just wondering what other restrictions people have heard of (Anchorage area) or physicians that might do it?

I don't know any specifics for ANC, and that article you linked is the only one I've seen on the topic.
If/when we have girls we'd rather wait until she is old enough to make the choice herself...so the having to wait until they're old enough to ask is no biggie for me. I definitely see the point of getting it done somewhere professional though. I had my ears done when I was 11, and we went to a local jeweler (not a mall shop, but a private place). They did use a gun (actually they used two, one on each side, and had two employees and did them at the same time). I'm guessing though that they were cleaner than a mall shop would have been, but who knows.

[roadfamily6now]

We had our DD"s ears done before 1 year. (6 months and 3 months)
They used the gun. Like Jenni, one lady on each side.
I'm confident the guns were clean as I watched them take it from a sterile wrapper, clean them before and after the piercing. However, this was also done in MT and Fairbanks, so I'm not sure if anyone here has rules about ages in Anch.

Oh, and I read the article and it is not entirely accurate. Sounds like it was written by a body piercing studio (bias). They do not use a blunt stud, it is pointed, just like a needle. When my babies were done, the ladies at the shop wore gloves and the gun was sterile from an autoclave. Just because it is plastic does not mean you cannot autoclave it! They dont get that hot. If you are concerned, perhaps investigating the actual shop in town would give you a better idea of how it would be done.

[roadfamily6now]

Karen,

Super big hugs.

[brightonwoman]

yes karen, sorry, I almost missed it in the page 'turn'...




And on the piercing studs--yes, mine were pointed too. Honestly, I wouldn't want anything pierced in a little mall stand, but so long as it's a jewelers (not like Claires, but an actual jeweler) then I think I'd be comfortable that they know what they're doing.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

. They do not use a blunt stud, it is pointed, just like a needle.

I was wondering about that part.. my ears were pierced in 3rd grade, and they used a gun and pointed earrings.. I thought perhaps things had changed since then though.. I wouldn't know only having had boys so far.

[dislocator3972]

Karen, I'm so sorry.

As far as ear piercing is concerned, I've always liked the rule of allowing earrings when the girl is old enough to care for them herself. I'd vote for a piercing parlor, but just out of paranoia. I think of mall employees as generally much younger and less mature than piercers at a piercing/tat shop.

DH and I are putting together our Alaskan To Do List. Have we missed anything? I have no idea how we'll get it all done by summer 2012, within a reasonable budget, and with this and potentially another child (TTC this summer) but I've gotta aim high. It's in my blood.

You guys always have great input, so I thought I'd post and check with you before we missed anything.

[roadfamily6now]

looks like a great list so far! How about the Train to Whittier?
Also, skip the Denali Bus Ride and get your name in for the lottery so you can drive your own car in. The Bus SUCKS!

I know there are more things but my kid needs chocolate! LOL

[Pinoikoi]

The mining place.. not mendenhall... what's it called? Where all the buildings are kind of falling apart?

I have always wanted to go there.