Can I Blame It On The Daycare?

So, someone at Kaleb's daycare decided it would be a good idea to take the kids on the playground (with only one adult) this afternoon after it rained half the day. Kaleb promptly jumped in a mud puddle and got soaking wet. I sat him in his car seat on a towel, strapped him in, and drove home thankful we live close to the daycare. Upon arriving at home, I undressed him and put his wet, muddy self straight into the bath tub. While I had stepped out of the bath room to put some meat into the microwave to defrost, I heard Kaleb start hollering. I went back to the bathroom to find that he had pooped in the tub (in the minute-or-so I wasn't there) and was mad that he had gotten it on his hands and couldn't get it off. I shook it off him, dumped some faucet water over him, and brought him out to the kitchen sink to get him clean (because I had no place to put a wet, naked toddler while I cleaned the tub without giving him the chance to accidentally pee all over the place). I got him safely sitting down in the sink with some water running over him and ran back down the hallway to the bathroom to get his towel. When I returned (literally less than 30 seconds later) he had grabbed the kitched sink sprayer and was busy drenching the countertops, cabinets, and floor. I got him clean, dried, and dressed. Then I cleaned up the water all over the kitchen and started dinner, because by this time it was at least a half-hour past when I would normally have started dinner. Supper is almost ready, finally. I still don't have the mental energy to face the bathtub clean-up ahead of me. It's gonna have to wait a few minutes more.

So, the question is this: Can I blame the daycare, if it makes me feel better? :-)

How to Clean and Rejuvenate Copper-Bottomed Pots

Since I was old enough to begin learning how to cook, we have had the same set of quality copper-bottomed Revere Ware pots in our kitchen.  While doing the dishes tonight, I realized that the one I was readying for the dishwasher really needed a good cleaning.  (The others need it too, but I'll get to them some other time.)

Over time, air and repeated use and washings cause the copper bottoms of the pots to oxidize.  (This process is the same reason the copper coating on the Statue of Liberty is green rather than bright and shiny copper.)

So, I used a method I learned years ago and gave the pot in hand a little extra attention.  It doesn't look brand new again, but it looks pretty darn good for being 20-ish years old and only having had 5 minutes of extra scrubbing put into it!

Before:

Before, with flash

Before, without flash

Shoe Collection Drive — A Last-Minute Request for Help!

Ok, Pensacola friends! I need some help, and I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before to ask you all. This is extremely last-minute, so I understand if you aren't able to help out.

The school I work at is holding a Used Shoe Collection/Drive through Tuesday of this week. The teacher coordinating the event volunteers for an organization that distributes used-but-useable shoes to needy families as well as trying to help supply them to people around the world affected by poverty and natural disasters.

The homeroom class that collects the most pairs of useable shoes will win a pizza party.

Most of you know that I am a teacher's assistant working with ESE/Special Needs kids. Our homerrom is 14 students, half the size of the other homeroom classes in the school. More than half of our 14 students come from very-low-income families themselves. These factors usually put us was behind when it comes to making a difference through Collection Drives like this one, or the one for the Manna Food Bank that was held before Thanksgiving.

I fully understand that the purpose of this event is to help the less fortunate, but I also know the good that would be done for these ESE kids (who never win anything and are often picked on by "normal" kids) to WIN something! I'm speding the weekend going through my shoes, sorting out most of them to be given away. Since becoming a mother, my wardrobe has changed, and many of my shoes have been neatly tucked away, unseen, under my bed for over 2 years now. I'm keeping the ones I wear regularly and the few with sentimental value, but the rest are going to the donation at work.

If any of you have any used-but-useable shoes you'd be willing to donate, please let me know. I can pick them up from you tomorrow (Sunday) or possibly Monday evening afer work. Or if you're going to be in the Michigan Avenue area and would like to drop them by the house, that would be great too, and I'll happily send you the address!

Any size and style of shoe is fine, as well as shoes for all ages and genders. All that matter is that they still be in useable condidtion.

Thanks to anyone who can help!


Update:  We won!  Our class won with a total of 130 pairs of shoes, thanks in part to some of you!  The 2nd place class collected 42 pairs of shoes, slightly less than a third of what we had.  Thanks so much to anyone who contributed!