Contradictions

I was just browsing the Land of Nod website, seeing if there were any items that we can't live without for bambino. It stirred up an odd combination of feelings. First, I generally appreciate but dismiss these kind of higher-end things for babies because they use them so briefly, they are expensive, and I don't want my child born into a world where she has to have the latest and the best. I believe our child will be better served by having a few nice things and learning to appreciate what you have, especially the used and functional. (I believe that most kids, and adults for that matter, will need to learn this lesson in the coming years as our country sees its world-domination sunset and our economy and environment tank, but that's an entirely different topic.)

On the other hand, I really do like nice things. I like well-designed, aesthetically appealing, quality furnishings just as much as the next girl. However, I can't shut off the part of my brain that says Reuse, Recycle, don't contribute to landfills by buying all new everything, don't be the Ugly American Consumer who "needs" way too much. I am proud of the fact that we have bought just one new piece of furniture for the baby room, and it's a dresser we expect her to be changed on, paint when she's a teenager, then take to college, and later furnish her own apartment. So, no...she will not be sleeping in a premium sleigh crib, with 800-count Egyptian cotton bedding stitched by hand by the "Amish" (i.e. an outlet in Pennsylvannia with products imported from China and marked up 8000%). But hopefully, in time, she will learn the satisfaction of reusing, appreciating and protecting material goods rather than throwing them away. And I'm ready to be patient for this particular learning to occur, since apparently the pressures of materialism are more persuasive for kids now than they were when we were little.

On a seemingly very different note...

I was discussing this topic with Ray, who (ever practical) said that saving money on all this baby gear means that we can paint the house sooner rather than later. Under his breath he mentioned the "strange" Russian woman who painted a bathroom in the condo...

"Strange? What do you mean she was strange? Ray, she was hot! I would think you'd want to hire her for that reason alone!"

"But she wore those weird clothes to paint in."

"She wore clothes she felt comfortable in, which happen to be hip and tight, and she had the body to pull it off. Plus, she never spilled and she was fast."

"But I'm a geek...and we don't trust people who dress like that..."