Liter of Lite

Free light to every home...made from a clear plastic water bottle!
 This inspires me to help more around the world.  But also, what a great idea for a homeschool learning project!!  (and maybe even for your doghouse)

Another article:
http://www.progressive.com/AtProgressive/Liter-of-light-brightening-homes-in-developing-world.aspx

From their website:
About Liter of Light
aliteroflight.org

Our latest project is the Liter of Light or Isang Litrong Liwanag. It brings the eco-friendly bottle light to communities living without electricity.'

The Technology
What do you get with sunshine and an old plastic bottle filled with water and chlorine? Thanks to Alfred Moser and a group of MIT students, you get a 55-watt solar bulb that refracts sunlight! It’s powerful enough to light up a home but more than that it’s environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and easy to make.

The Movement
The Liter of Light began in the Philippines with one bottle light. Eventually, the movement grew to brighten up 28,000 homes and the lives of 70,000 people in Metro Manila alone. Now Liter of Light is present in India, Indonesia, and even as far away as Switzerland.

The Future
MyShelter Foundation is relying on volunteers like you to spread the Liter of Light movement where it’s needed. Using the Philippines as our home base, we want one million bottle lights installed around the world by 2015.

10/2/2013

8:18am

I leaned over and gave Isabela a kiss on the cheek.

“Mom, sometimes you and Daddy give me too big of kisses, and it’s hard for me to take care of them all.  So I wipe a little of them off so they are smaller for me.  Then I can handle them better.”

September

 

Ready for our Mexican Independence Day Celebration!

¡¿No se ve guapisismo?!

(Thanks Aunt Elena for the shirt!)

 Working on rolling over

  Spa Day with Isabela Mae!

My handsome little (tender-hearted) muscle man.  

Isa and her Monita.

(Isabela is sitting here with input on what I should write for her captions. This one is supposed to say "Happy Birthday because I love you!")

First Hair Cut

(Daddy got one, too!)

 After!

 Sad little boy! But isn't his cloth diaper the cutest?

 And Chauncey loves his jumper!

Mostly he loves chewing on it.

 Isabela dressed Chauncey... I had to help a little with the buttons.

Isabela's caption: "He looks handsome."

A definite favorite!

I can't get enough of this little guy.

My favorite thing he does:  If I am holding him, and he gets excited, he will grab my face and give my cheek a big open-mouthed kiss!

 

 He only sucks his thumb when he is tired.

Coming home, and getting ready for our....

 ...PICNIC!

 .All snazzy for our jazz concert at CMC!  They danced at the back of the room--ballroom and ballet style--for over 2 hours of music!  A few of their friends came and joined in, too.  I wish we had more pictures.

 A true thumb sucker... even with his binkie!

(Another favorite of mine!)

 Having a sleepover.

 The parade in New Castle with Emmet

Chauncey wasn't big enough to fit in the wagon yet.

 Rockin' the Shades at the parade

 "Look, Mom.  I made me a hammock!"

 Putting sweet Elmo and Xander to bed.

(Do you like the ipad-cover blanket?)

Box Town

 Tatum and Xander cruising in their cars.

Don't you love Xander's sunglasses upside down?

They are still a little big and really do stay on his face better this way. 

9/4/13

Two nights ago, Xander refused to lie down to change his diaper before bed.  He kept saying “No! Other one!”  In my confusion, he finally pointed to his cloth diaper (which I have only ever tried on him 3 times… I don’t really want to wash out toddler pooh).  I padded it extra (I really didn’t want to wash sheets as well).  He couldn’t even put his legs together like normal.  I asked if he wanted to switch back.  But, nope, he LOVED it. 

In the morning, he still didn’t want me to take it off.  Finally, we had to.  Then he did want his disposable back on again.

Today, though, he wanted his cloth one back on again.  I can’t believe my two-year old is cloth-diapering himself.  I am not opposed.  Maybe he will start to potty train sooner (Although, we have started already, with no pressure on him.  It has been slow-going, but I think he really enjoys sitting on the toilet so far, even though nothing has ever happened aside from reading stories.)

Jus Wuv Pats

When Brandon hugs Isabela, he sometimes pats her back or her bottom.  She would be furious, and yell, "Don't hit me!"  Brandon would reply, "They are just love pats, because I love you.  I am not trying to hurt you."  Soon, though, it became a game.  They would "pat" each other, and say, "Love pats!"  Only their pats were more like hits.  So Isabela started this game with Xander. She would hit him, pretty hard sometimes.  He would yell.  She would reply, "Love pats!" and run away.  So it began.  I have tried to stop it when it is just mean, and the other one is not having fun.  Then we have tried to teach that "pats" are soft, not hard. 

Today in church, a little girl came over to Chauncey in his carseat and touched him ever-so-softly.  She grinned and was so happy to play with a baby.  Xander sees her, walks over, and slaps Chauncey on the face.  To my surprise, Chuancey didn't cry, but he was stunned.  I grabbed Xander away (wanting to explode since he just hit my 2 month old baby), and explained calmly but firmly, "Xander, you CANNOT hit the baby."  Xander proceeds to grab my face, and look directly into my eyes. "Mom."  (He removes his hands and uses them to gesture and emphasize every word.)  "They. Jus. Wuv. Pats!"  (Mind you, the sacrament prayer just started.)  Now I don't know what to do.  Laugh. Cry from laughing so hard.  Or smack Brandon in the face since this is all his fault.  I opted for holding my two month old baby who was all smiles in all but 5 seconds after the incident.

A Waterfall!

Chauncey spits up all down my arm and onto the floor (not really that much, though).  Xander, with a wide-eyed, completely surprised look on his face, said “Ook! A watofaw!  A Watofaw!” 

Ward Campout

 8/23/13

 We heard the cows bellowing all night long.  The kids begged to take pictures on our way down the mountain. 

 At 2 months old, this was Chauncey's first camping trip.  He did splendidly well!  No crying did he make all night long.  It was cold, and I had him bundled and wrapped in a fleece swaddler.  I didn't sleep much because I was worried about him, but all three kids slept all night, toasty warm.

 Hanging out by the fire.

 Xander stood in this spot for hours.  He was a little unsure of the area.  He is about 4 feet from the jeep and the tent.  We were all over the place.  He didn't mind being alone, but he wasn't about to leave his spot.

About 3 hours later, his spot looked like this.

 Xander the photographer, begging to take pictures of me, still standing in his spot.

 Cuddling in our super warm sleeping bags.

 My littlest happy camper!

 Isabela sitting with Elsie, discussing all the important things in life.

 They had a coloring table set up for the kids for awhile.  It was a huge hit.

 The roasted pig.  Rocky and Don sampling the pig before dinner.

 It was delicious.

 It rained off and on all night, and into the morning.  It stormed in town, but not in the mountains where we were.  The weather was perfect, and the kids were happy to run around playing in pajamas all morning.

 Good morning boys!

 Another view of "his spot" in the morning.

 The kids played in the trees for what seemed like forever.  The game kept evolving:  hide-and-seek, fairies, sword fights as pirates...

 Xander found a frisbee.

 And they drew pictures in the dirt.

Thank you to my entire ward for making camping with three small children possible!  It was a perfect and peaceful vacation!