Zoot Suits (You)?

It's been five years since we've moved into our home and our upstairs (small peaked roof with dormer) has wall to wall carpeting. Here is what is lurking (and not so lurking) within the carpet: orange juice/apple juice, cat puke (cleaned of course...but really...is it *that* clean?), various child-related expulsions (cleaned of course...but really...oh, nevermind), probably dust mites and allergens, probably ground in boot dirt, probably sand from a Very. Unfortunate. Incident.

Green Husband has given me the go ahead and I am calling in the big guns for a thorough cleaning. I want to use Zoots a kinder, gentler carpet cleaning company. I hope they clean in my area - have any of you Zooted?

Also, did you ever wonder what would happen if your child could post a message to a Pre-Schooler listserve? I am sure my children's postings would look something like this.

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Getting in the Spirit Update: Holiday cards have arrived. Lights are on tree. Green Grams present has been mailed. Legs have been broken off Tinker Bell ornament ("She was stuck in the lock.").

The House of Sweden, Continued...

Today was the day I have been eagerly anticipating ever since receiving my invitation to a luncheon at the Swedish Embassy. No, I don't get out much.

I covered the main highlights over at DC Metro Moms, but for you hard core Gift of Greeners, I thought I'd augment (my post) with a few tidbits that may be of interest to my...er...demographic (?).

First, can I share with you some pictures of this beautiful space? I mean, do the Swedes have it right or what? Plenty of natural light, blonde woods, practical materials...and the Children First! exhibit! Adorable! Oh, and yes, I asked. The Embassy does provide childcare.

The Children First! exhibit. The computerized climbing wall and simple wooden toys.




Exterior Views





Interiors, including the Ikea-furnished apartment, the dishwasher (yes, it's an EnergyStar. I checked. I'm a nerd like that), the break room chairs made from recycled materials, and the incredible bench that's a lamp, no, it's a bench, no it's a lamp...








There were several instances that got my pencil a-waggin'. The first was during Lisa Thoren, daughter of Bjorn Jakobson, was speaking about the classic and quintessential BabyBjorn product: the bib. She mentioned that although the bib is extremely popular in Sweden, there is a definite "cultural issue" in terms of marketing a plastic bib to parents in the United States. What's your opinion...is the only good plastic a non-existent plastic? And are we, as Americans sweating the small stuff whereas other countries might be much more eco-friendly when it comes to the big picture (use of public transportation/foot-power, for example) and are laughing at our preoccupation with fabric bibs? Are we freakin' out about plastic ware, yet jumping in our SUVs to buy organics?

Another aspect of the BabyBjorn products that Lisa mentioned was the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, a standard (product class I) which all BabyBjorn carriers meet. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 "is the world's leading label for textiles screened for harmful substances." In Product class I, "all baby articles are subject to the strictest criteria on account of the sensitivity of babies' skin. Any finishes containing formaldehyde are prohibited. The requirement of saliva-resistance means that dyes and prints should not bleed or stain when babies suck on them." I had not heard of this standard prior to today's presentation...had you?

Down (Syndrome) With Love - A DC Metro Mom Post

I was at Babies 'R Us today picking up some essentials and I grabbed the September 2007 issue of Babytalk, a cute freebie on "straight talk for new moms". This month's cover model was an adorable 10-month old seated in an outdoor swing, wearing a cozy cable knit sweater and some multi-colored pants, bare feet catching some air, mouth wide open in that "look at me I'm airborne'" smile we're all familiar with. The baby happens to have Down syndrome and the accompanying story is "A new song: Parenting my son with Down syndrome isn't a trial; it's a joy" by writer Jennifer Graf Groneberg.

Flip to page 6 and the Editor-in-Chief's column, written by Susan Kane, is a definite eye-opener. Kane writes,

"Back in 2001, Babytalk was the first national parenting magazine to feature a baby with Down syndrome on its cover. The accompanying article, on the benefits of early intervention, earned us our first National Magazine Award nomination. I figured we had broken a barrier, and I waited to see which magazine would put one of these beautiful children on its cover next. Turns out, it's us again."

Could this be true? Ten years gone by without another national parenting magazine featuring a baby with Down syndrome on their cover?

While I have seen children with Down syndrome and children with special health care needs featured in everything from magazines to shopping circulars, it is striking to me when I do see photographs of these children. Striking not because they have Down syndrome or are in a wheelchair, but striking because it makes me realize how infrequently these children are included in our every day reads.

Why is that? Is it because statistically most parents do not have a child with special health care needs? Is it because magazines and retailers fear that some consumers will be "put off" by the inclusion of children who do not look like them? I truly do not know the answer to these questions, but I do know that there are over 350,000 people in the United States with Down syndrome and that number not only includes babies and toddlers, but also young adults and adults who, guess what, can be savvy consumers too.

If you have never read "Welcome to Holland", a brief essay written by Emily Perl Kingsley, one of the brilliant minds behind the creation of Sesame Street and the mother of a son with Down syndrome, I highly recommend you do. In the meantime, I commend Babytalk for featuring a child with Down syndrome on the cover of their September issue and hope that others will follow suit. It would be wonderful to see these child on the cover of our glossies just 'cause and not because October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month or because of a Down syndrome-related feature.

If what the Editor of Babytalk writes is true, and I have no reason to doubt her, what will the next 10 years bring?

{Down (Syndrome) With Love was originally posted by moi on DC Metro Moms}}