Spring is here!

I'm playing catch-up today on the blog!
It is with great joy that I proclaim spring! :) Yay!
It was a drizzly day here today and I was once again thankful for my job as a mom that didn't force me to venture out. :)

Though I adore spring and the rising temps, I have to admit that it stresses me out a bit.
See, with it comes mud.
And three outfits a day for the big kids. :)
And a yard that now also needs attention.
And laundry and meals that don't stop needing attention.
And regular bath nights.
And that landscaping project we abandoned with the snow.
And the pull to enjoy the weather and be outside!
Which isn't bad... just "more" somehow.

I do try to throw the "more" aside.
And enjoy the laughter.
And the time the kids spend outdoors in the fresh air.
And the walks I can take with a toddler who is still content in the stroller.
And the birds that are back with their songs.
And the quiet hum of movement in a small town.

I look forward to green as the trees bud out and the lawn perks up!
And the many fun trips in store for our April and May!
And friendships that are budding!
And our basement's full usage-- "You can paint by the weekend!" I was told this morning! Praise the Lord!
And organizing, dejunking and containerizing. MMmmmm!
And Garage. Sales.

Ahh... Life IS good.
Bring on the mud.

The end of the season...

Jake had the privilege of coaching a great group of boys this year as the R-P Trojans head coach. The season has ended and he now hands the reigns back to HIS coach, a Minnesota Hall of Fame coach whom he respects greatly. My husband loves basketball, and he loved the young men he got to work with. They had a GREAT victory in their second to last game. The team they faced had an amazing season. They beat the Trojans during the holiday tournament by over 30 points and were ranked number one in our sub-section. To me, one who admittedly knows little to nothing about the game, that meant defeat.
But not to my husband.
He told me they could win.
He's a "half-full" kind of guy through and through.
He loved his team.
In his eyes they could do it.
And they did.
They won by ten in overtime.

Though their record wasn't flawless they had many victories along the way and I can say with confidence that Jake enjoyed the season. And the opportunity. And the team.

And I'm proud of him.
And thankful I'm his.

A Travelin' we did go!

The first week of March brought an eagerly anticipated arrival to our family! Ryker Allyn was born to Jake's brother Jon and his wife Cori. They live in the Tetons, so March 10th Lanman and I accompanied a proud Grandma out west to meet our newest nephew/cousin. Lanman was giddy!

He was a trooper on the plane! It was his first flight, and though he's a pretty easy-going fellow, I was a bit nervous. He likes to just be laid down for his nap, and I could just picture a full-out fit being thrown from a tired tot. We were afforded an extra seat between us on the long flight both ways, so he had room to boogie and did really well. He was very social, so every around us was greeted with a "Hi!" and he reported on every nap-taker within sight-- "Nigh, Nigh," "Nigh, Nigh," He would shout and point. :)

Once out there we got to love on the baby and whip up some meals. Lanman got to play with his older cousin. Well, invade her space anyway! :) They'll play together better when they're a bit older. :) The weather was sunny and warm for the most part, so we brought the kids out in the snow a couple of times. Lanman wasn't sure WHAT to think about that!

We loved getting the chance to meet you, little Ryker! Thank you so much for letting us invade, Wydaho Dahls! Here's a glimpse of sweet baby...

The cuteness oozes. And other randomness.

This morning Lanman took Bella's hand held mirror and toddled around with it. He looked into it lovingly and pronounced, "My ME!" He then showed each one of us "my ME!"
His "him."
Aww.
We oohed and ahhed at his cuteness and inflated his baby ego just a bit.
So much for not spoiling the baby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jaker brought out the big guns and let me in on a secret trip he's put together for JUST US... to Charleston, SC at the end of April. Telling me I get to travel is like telling a dog he gets to have a dino's femur. I CAN'T WAIT!!! Details are still being worked out, but I am brimming with excitement and wish it was tomorrow. I suppose we have to finish basketball season before we celebrate making it through. :) I can't wait to spend hours and hours alone with Jake, to relax together and explore a city we've never been to. :) A foretaste of our empty-nesting years-- Lord-willing! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In basketball news, the regular season is done and the Trojans are slated to play Houston ( a team they beat earlier this season) on Friday night in Sub-sectional action. At this point when they lose they are done. They'll actually practice four times this week. That's just a couple days less than in the entire month of February with three games a week and a snow day! :)

Well, I best start heading the kids toward bed. They're all reading. Oh, what joy (Also what a contrast to the wrestle-a-thon that took place moments ago...).
A happy first week of March to you all. :)

Catching up...

Well, here we are. Two weeks have flown by since I last wrote and in usual form, we've been a busy crew.

Jake has coached six games since then and has just one remaining in the regular season. Who knows what tournament time will bring!? It's truly gone well and he's loved working with the team. For the most part it's going very well on the home front, too. That being said, I think it's fair to say we're all ready for it to be done as four months is a long haul. :)

Lanman recently sat through his fourth, but most major haircut. His eyes look even bigger and the resemblance to Noodle is startling. Bella also got a three-inch cut. Big news there is that from here on out she is going to a salon. :) It went OK, but I will never attempt a trim again, no matter HOW simple it looks to be! I am fine with being a barber to boys alone.

We enjoyed a weekend visit to Grandma and Papa K's over Bella's birthday weekend (known as Valentine's Day to the rest of the world). We celebrated with a GoRGeoUS princess castle cake and big ol' fashioned family canasta party. The cards were good (for some) and the food abounded, as usual! :) We took advantage of the long weekend and didn't come home until Monday. It was SO nice to get away.

Friday the 20th brought on the 5th grade musical, which Jaker helped direct and Noodle had a role in as Abraham Lincoln, and the MC... interviewing some of history's great leaders. He also had an Emmy-winning vocal solo. :) Here he is LIVE with Betsy Ross:

He had a big cheering section as Mom and Dad made the long trek over- just for the DAY- and Grandma Joyce, Great-Grandma Esther and Uncle Josh also came to watch him perform.

Our little lady celebrated turning SeVeN with her friends at a fun-filled Friday evening birthday party. We decorated cookies, Bedazzled tote bags and made mini pizzas. (Here she is with the top of the castle cake which we saved for the party, and Yes, she is wearing her Laura Ingalls Wilder dress. Every girls gotta have a party dress!) It was a fun evening that resulted in one pooped Mama!

Progress has begun again in the basement- WHOO HOO! We have friends staying with us as they do construction in town and in return for staying here they have finished wiring and insulating... and dare I say SHEETROCK is going up as I type! Our garage has been busting at the seams storing all the things that basement will soon hold! Our kiddos, Lord willing, will be in their own rooms by summer! Organization will once again have domain in the Dahl House! A garage sale will be had like none other in Rushford history! (And this chick will be rejoicing!)

Our most recent news is a sick Lanman. He started with a temperature Friday that stayed very high throughout the weekend. A Monday morning trip to the pediatrician diagnosed a very yucky looking throat. Not strep, thankfully. He's on the mend now, for which we are all thankful. Healthy Lanman = Much better sleep!

Well, I am being summoned by the little man. Naptime flies so quickly. Wishing you all a sunny day!

Dear Lanman,

I tend to talk about you a lot on here. When you look back I want you to know I love your siblings just as much as you... It's just that I spend my days with you and you are changing so much that there is so much to share.

Have I told you that you've stolen my heart? You are precious from head to toe and I wouldn't trade places with anyone in this world to give up my days with you.

Today when I was getting you changed and dressed (which you still throw fits about) you pointed at my shirt and with those precious brown eyebrows lifted asked, "A dat?"

Which I totally knew meant, "Mother dear, what is that drawing upon your shirt?"

I told you it was a daisy.

Which you repeated back to me like a little mockingbird.

Since we started making animal noises you have always insisted a dog says, "Ahhh, Ahh, " a tongue hanging-out panting sound. Which I think is fascinating, because to you they do-- They don't bark at you, they lick and pant at you. Today when we read you changed it for the first time and shook your head "no" when I made your panting noise. Then you "yipped." And seemed to age a year before my eyes. Like the first time Noodle said "Elmo" instead of "Elmy."

Yesterday I got out Bella's doll stroller for you to play with while we were in the garage. When the phone rang I whisked you and the stroller in with me. I talked and before I knew it you were coming out of the bedroom with a doll saying, "baby," and putting her in the stroller. How do you know that? We've never had this out before! You walked all three blocks to school to meet Daddy and your siblings with both hands pushing that little pink stroller. Through puddles, through mud as if it were your mission to get that baby to school. I picked you up to cross the first street. When we got to the next intersection you stopped and lifted your arms. How did you figure that out? When your baby slid down in her seat you said, "Oh oh! Oh oh!" (your favorite phrase) until she was righted.

I want to remember every little stage you pass through. I want to bottle you up and keep you forever right where you are at today. The other kids, too. I am so thankful for you all.

I love you, my sweet Lanman.

Forever,

Your Mama.

A Week of Firsts

Lanman had a landmark week of firsts. Yes, some were long overdue, but here are the highlights in photos:


A good cupboard climb! He hasn't really gotten into cupboards much, but had this one emptied out and enjoyed his little cubby.













One day I was spending time in the kitchen and thought a fort might keep Lanman occupied and happy. He loves to find little spots to hang out in. Though it took a little food to bribe him in it at first, he thought it was pretty funny and giggled each time he got settled in. (Notice the blur... wiggles of excitement!)













His first beater-licking! Mmmm...
He thought this was most delightful and wanted "Mo? Mo? Mo?"













And my very favorite, his first "play-in-the-snow-time" with Bella. He LOVES to be outside and the warmer temps this weekend have given us all spring fever. :)

Ahhh... a busy Monday is behind us.
I cleaned like a crazy woman today. I apologized to Lanman, assuring him that tomorrow would be play day. I had him "help" as much as a 15-mo-old can. He caught up on sleep with a couple good naps and tonight the house is feeling much better.
The laundry is finished and ready to be put away in the morning.

Jaker had his fourth victory in a row tonight and is hopeful for tomorrow night's game. Due to weather postponements there are 12 games in 25 days during February. Talk about a race to the finish! :)

Knowing this was ahead I snuck him away for his birthday Friday night (Thanks to his mom taking the kiddos- Thank You, Joyce!) to a whirlpool suite. I really wanted to have a hot tub installed in our back yard, but instead he got to relax in the whirlpool and the hot tub, he got to watch a movie in its entirety and sleep in in the morning. Ahhh... A little R&R for a well deserving coach, husband and daddy. :)

We got to spend Sunday with great friends at the same hotel (actually the room next door!)-- Swimming, EATING, watching the BOWL and catching up. We love the Poppes. :)

Our evenings are full lately with games, of course, but also with homework, reading, practicing of instruments (piano for Bella and Doodle, percussion for Noodle), football tossing (Doodle), and the chore list I come up with during the day! :) (It's usually pretty minimal- There's no time for a long list!)
The big kids love to read with their headlamps before bed, so we leave time for that and before I know it there's our evening! We make a habit of a family game night or two throughout the week (Mama's orders). :)
I'm off to bed.
Have a great week, one and all!

We're halfway there!

To the end of basketball season, I mean.
Tonight the Trojans beat a conference foe, Kingsland, for the second time. Yeah, Trojans!
The kids and I stayed home as it's hard to do away games on a school night. Let me back up a bit... It's hard to do games with a wiggly 15-mo-old. Period.
Tonight we got to listen to it on the radio. I felt like we were gathering for a "Fireside Chat." Though I'm sure FDR's addresses didn't cause his listeners to break out in a sweat like I did during that game.
Ugh.
A "good game" to me is when Jaker's team is winning by 20. It's good! I can sit back and enjoy it. I smile. I like it. *(see below)

Lead changes, being behind with 5 seconds to go, one point victory margins?
That is not good. It is tense, nerve-racking and blood-pressure altering.

Tomorrow is my favorite coach's big day. 36! I distinctly remember celebrating 26 with him in our rental house in Sand Creek. Ahh, the memories. I've got a surprise under my hat and will share it after the fact so nothing sneaks back to him. :)
Have a wonderful weekend.



*When my heart is not involved, I admit I like a close game, but when my husband is coaching or the Packers are involved... please see the above definition of "good game."

"He-yo!"

Our little man's newest obsession is hiding. He is hilarious.
He climbs into small spaces and waits, wiggling with excitement until you acknowledge that you have found him.
Then he shouts, "He-Yo!" (hello) and giggles.
OH, he giggles.

These are my very favorite parts of the day. :)

The Reason We Are Here

Sometimes it's still hard being in a new community. We visited Chetek this past weekend and it still feels like home. It's comfortable. We know most everyone we ran into on a "big hug" level. :)

Today I was reminded in a tangible way of why we are here. For family. For relationships. To brighten the day of a great-grandma with a short drop-in visit. I hope he remembers the love in her eyes. I know I always will.

Promised Photos

Tonight I am finally dumping photos onto the computer that I took prior to Christmas! Aye yi yi!! No excuses. Just haven't done it. So here is my wonderful family- like a month ago. :)


There is a reason Jaker is hiding behind the little man in this photo. He has led three of our four kids astray and soon after I took this for HIS sake, I threw the camera at him and stripped my baby of that purple filth. :) Go Pack.

Noodle's ELEVENTH birthday party. The sledding crew! Yes, my 63-yr-old dad was one of the sledders (With Bella in the back left).

Lanman and one of his very favorite toys thanks to Auntie Cori and Uncle Jonathan! The kids (OK, and Jake and I) put him in the bed of the truck and zoom him to and fro. He squeals with delight and says, "Mo, Mo, Mo."

One of my top five "heart-warmers" as a mom is watching my kids read. When they are reading to a younger sibling I turn to mush. I caught Doodle reading his assigned story to Lanman during homework time one day. Melts a mama's heart!!

Trembling with excitement!

The Dahls are headed north early tomorrow morning to spend a weekend with dear friends. It looks to be a busy two days, filled with visits here, there and everywhere and we are giddy over each stop. Our food contributions are prepared, and packed in a cooler in the van. The kids' clothes are packed tight. The camera and books, diaper bag and doughnuts from grandpa are ready to go by the back door. I even loosened the laces of the kids' shoes and have them lined up and ready to go!

The coach is at a far away game and left hopeful for a victory. I'm eagerly watching the ten o'clock news to see the score. Our departure time is set for 6:15 (In hopes we actually roll out at 6:30...) and I set out THREE coffee mugs- My usual two and one for Jaker as 5:30 will come quickly for him I'm afraid. *** They WON!!! Just saw the score!! ***

I know I am terribly behind on photo updates. I aim to post pictures early next week. The pics of Lanman are sure to just be a blur as he is in turbo tornado mode lately. Digging in plants he never blinked an eye at before. Unloading the DVD tower. Reaching above his head for handfuls of pencils to poke his eyes out with... (I jest.) Who needs to work out? My gym membership has huge brown eyes and a devilish grin.

The big kiddos brought home perfect report cards today. All three of em'! There was a lot of hugging and happy dancing at the Dahl house. What a great privledge I have to be their mama. Then reality set back in and I yelled out task after task until they begged to go to bed. But hey, they're going to play all weekend and see paragraph one... We're almost ready to go!

Which reminds me that I need to pack up to head out. Have a fabulously freezing weekend, Midwest friends. Californians? Alabamans? I don't even want to hear about it! :)

Books that we love...

I love reading to the kids, but as Jaker has stolen the boys away for the past couple of years with the Redwall series (Praise the Lord they are caught up! I am so glad they love these books, but am up to my ears listening to the names of woodland warriors!), I have been busy reading to Miss Bella.

The summer of 2005 as we spent our days in the Jackson area for a month we read The Moffats books (There are 4 or five directly about the Moffat family and a couple more by Eleanor Estes that are similar-- Ginger Pye and Pinky Pye). They were wonderful family stories of a simpler time. Innocent, funny, adventure-filled and endearing. :)

Bella and I then read the Little House series and topped it off with a trip to Walnut Grove and the Wilder Pageant with my mom and sister last summer. A classic series that I knew I would love reading with my daughter. (My mother firmly instilled this in me!)

I toyed with starting Anne of Green Gables with her, but my mom gave her Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace for Christmas. We fell in love after the first chapter. Very reminiscent of the Moffats this series is full of imagination and innocence. We can't wait to read the next book (which rumor has it will appear round about a certain little girl's birthday...). If your looking for a good read-aloud book, see if your library has these wonderful books! :)

Grrrr... Frustrations!

So why is it that every Tuesday night our digital signal for NBC is gone. Zero. Ziltch.
I e-mailed the station last week about it on Wednesday morning and the station engineer wrote right back and told me to call him... except everything seemed fine then. I was convinced it was the cold weather.

Tonight? Nada. I rescanned and the channel doesn't even come in well enough to come up on the auto scan. This was the first and strongest channel we ever got... and suddenly. Nothing.

Cable isn't a necessity in our lives. We watch little more than football (and lots of it), 24 and Biggest Loser. Oh, and Sesame Street.

Tonight? Grr.
I'm tempted to call for hook-up in the morning.

We will praise You in the cold!

Well, like most of the Midwest the weather outside is frightful and I am thankful to be cozied up inside with my entire family. Having a husband that teaches has many perks. One is snow days or "freezing" days as the case may be. These days are like a weekend, only better because they are unexpected and unscheduled. Just lots of down time and relaxing. :)

Noodle is officially eleven. He is growing up before our very eyes. We are so blessed to be his parents and excited to watch him morph into a young man. :) He recently found out he is to be Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming fifth grade musical, "American Dream." He needs to quote the Gettysburg Address and has a vocal solo. You can be sure to see photos here soon. (Any tips on fashioning a beard?)

Doodle is counting the days until he plays basketball at halftime of Jake's game. Only one day to go! When we got word that school was cancelled today I suggested baking cookies.
Doodle said, "No. I can't eat cookies today. I've got a game tomorrow." :) He takes his playing seriously. Doodle and I made foccacia bread instead. He's a great sous chef.

Bella and I have King's Corners and Crazy 8's under our belt and are now in the midst of "Kit Kittredge" the movie . She helped make white chili for lunch and is a huge helper in the kitchen, as long as I hold the reigns. :)

Lanman took a tumble into a corner last night and nearly split his forehead open. He was terribly sad. I would ask him every now and again, "Lanman, are you OK?" To which he would shake his head "no" and look up at me with those big ol' browns. Poor little fella.

I am thankful for the sun today. Thankful for the unexpected together-time the cold weather afforded us. Thankful for the warm home we have and the for the food in the pantry and freezer.
I'm off to finish the movie with my girlie now. Stay warm, one and all!

Weekend highlights

What a great weekend!

I know it's not over yet. With the Season Premiere of "24" on tonight, there is still a lot that could happen. :) Jake and I were introduced to "24" right before the last season that aired, season 6. My sis gave Jake the first couple seasons for Christmas that year on DVD and by the end of break we had finished them. His birthday is at the end of January, and we got and watched seasons 3 and 4 within the next few weeks. Season 5 also was gobbled up and we finished season 6 (DVRed) just in time to watch season 7... which didn't happen. Until tonight!! In the whole "Three kids/Four kids" debate one of my pleas was... If you'd let me name it Bauer if it's a boy, then I think we could have a fourth. :) We REALLY like the show.

Mom and Dad came this direction Friday night and met us at Jake's game. WHICH THEY WON! Whoo Hoo! Against a very good and long-running conference rival. Ahh, it was wonderful! We are headed into another three-game week.

Saturday brought basketball practice for both of the boys and Noodle's friend birthday party. He had nine boys over after practice for sledding, a big taco lunch and a little Madden football. He really enjoyed it. We had plans for the evening that Mom and Dad were planning to keep the kids for, but they got postponed, so we got to relax as a Fam with Creamery pizza. Yum. A little canasta, which I could hardly keep my eyes open for, closed the evening.

Which brings us to today. Church, a trip to LC to do just a smidge of shopping and lunch with Mom and Dad before they headed east- that was our day in a nutshell. A little football (wouldn't be the Dahl house without it!) and now Jake is off to school to make sub plans for tomorrow.
We get to spend the day together (with the little Man) as we head to Rochester for a routine check-up. I love spending my days with my man. :)

Bella would like me to report that she has a new digital camera and will post photos soon. Which is more than her mother can say lately. I'm going to get on that soon, though. Really.
Have a fabulous week!

Quirky's greatest moment

When the older three kids were a bit younger, I kept a journal of all the funny little things they said.
Like the time Noodle was three and her ran up to me, abruptly stopped and prodded a chubby little finger into the skin under his tongue. Poking there he said, "This feels like chicken." Then turned and left as quickly as he flew in. :)

Those are memories I want forever.

As the kids have gotten older, however, the number of entries has waned. I still try to write them down, but they say fewer and fewer funny things. Or maybe it's that now they KNOW (or THINK) they're funny... Which makes them not as funny. :)

Doodle, the one we can count on most to still not realize how funny he is, brought down the house last night. At nine he is as funny and quirky with his mannerisms as when he was 3 and I just shake my head. Only my Doodle.

Over Christmas break I mentioned that I was thinking of giving him a trim-- Just the back and sides. His hair is coarse and the top seems to grow slower than the rest, so he looks shaggy pretty quickly. He quickly said, "NO! You can cut the sides, but I like the back long." Though I don't remember the details I must have outlined that this was NOT going to happen as No trim was better than a Mullet.

So last night- More than a week removed from our convo-- He walks in, plops his bag down and pronounces, " I love Mullets."

Throughout the evening he was heard singing, "I love bananas, coconuts and mullets!"

Oh, Doodle, say it ain't so.

Personality Emerging

Our little Lanman has a funny side to him-- he's a little tease and he KNOWS when he's being funny.
Yesterday I was laboring over bills at the laptop on the couch and there was a bowl with peanuts and M & M's in the coffee table ahead of me. He toddled over, looked in the bowl, snagged a couple and popped them in his mouth as quick as could be. I saw this all out of the corner of my eye, but looked up at him and asked, " Lanman, did you sneak a treat?"

To which he pursed his lips tight, smiled and shook his head "no."

I said, "Lanman, show me your mouth. Say AHHH!"

Again, "no." Grinning.

"Lanman Jon. Show Mommy what's in your mouth. "

Two shuffles backward. AWAY from mommy's reach.
Quickest mouth-opening in the west.
Mouth clamped shut again and grin remains in place.
Turns and toddles away fast.
(Rest assured, the M &M and peanut both went down safely. All is well.)

For the love of garage sales **UPDATED**

I must start this post with a confession: I love garage sales. The thrill of the hunt, the bargains to be found, and quite frankly the money that is saved! Two dear, dear friends and I have made a annual trip to a nearby suburb to bring home vans-ful of treasures, most of which is like new. Most of what my kids wear is from these jaunts. To them "Woodbury" is some fine, far-off boutique that 75% of their clothes magically appears from each May. :) One year I figured out the savings of Old Navy ticket prices to what I bought each item for- like I said- practically brand new! It was HUNDREDS of dollars.

All that being said, I have posted a banner on the side over there to the right that describes a measure the federal government would like to take- in the interest of keeping our children safe- to stop the resale of children's toys and clothing. I understand that the lead in toys can be very dangerous to kids and don't want to belittle what families have gone through who have faced tragedy as a result of lead.

I DO, however, see buying used clothing as a very cost effective and earth-friendly way of caring for my family! This is generations old! Who hasn't worn hand-me-downs? We are a one income family, and I, for one, can attest that going out to buy brand new clothing would rock us financially.

Read this link (More detailed and garage sale-specific) or click on the banner for an overview and let me know what you think. :)

**UPDATE**
A friend e-mailed me this after a little reseach online. She didn't tell me where she found it, but I'm posting it because it gives me hope. :)

I'm bored at work, so I went to the actual government website (http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html) and started combing through it to see if I could find anything about this. From what I found, it looks as though the rule only applies to toys *manufactured* after Feb 10, so I don't see how this would affect yard sales or consignment sales at all since if you're selling something after the date this goes into effect, then it will already be labelled. And I didn't see anything about clothing (except a few things that could contain lead, like jewelry) included in this at all. This is from the FAQ:If you have a “children’s product” with possible lead content, do you have to have a certificate on November 12, 2008, even though the lead rule is not effective?No. The lead content limits for children’s products do not go into effect until February 10, 2009. As stated above, children’s products manufactured after February 10, 2009 (600 ppm), will need a general conformity certification based on a test of the product or a reasonable testing program for products and children’s products manufactured after August 14, 2009 (300 ppm), will have to be certified based on third-party testing of the product by accredited third party laboratories.Q: Will infants’ crib bedding, blankets, bath textiles, and apparel fall under the heading of “durable product”?A: No. Congress did not define the term “durable,” but it is commonly understood to mean able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration. Cloth/textile items are generally not considered to be durable goods. None of the items Congress specified in section 104 as examples of durable products are items made entirely of cloth, rather they are primarily made from rigid materials (e.g., cribs, toddler beds, high chairs, strollers, bath seats).