by Heather
We’re getting ready for a camping trip this weekend, the first time with both the babes. Holden was camping for his first birthday (pictured) and again when I was pregnant (what was I thinking? of course I’m kidding, it was great).
As long as we have our coffee, travel Scrabble, and a gang of other competent parent friends, what can possibly go wrong?
So the activity is to rally some other friends with babies for a camping adventure. Pick some place close enough to home that you can be delayed getting out the door and still enjoy much of the day outside (also easy to return home in case the comforts of home are needed!).
When it was just us with a 12-month old, Holden loved the sleeping-in-tent experience. We purchased a tent big enough for the pack-n-play, and laid out our sleeping bags next to his cage portacrib. If you go with a younger baby, you may be able to get away with the moses basket… or, heck, if you’re already a co-sleeper, maybe you can all snuggle into a few zipped together sleeping bags!
This coming weekend, we’re hoping to celebrate the Indian Summer weather with a six family camping trip of preschoolers, babies, and toddlers. Wish us luck!
Download our gear packing checklist {pdf} to make the “getting out the door” part easier. It is our go-to list for babies, and can be easily pared down for kids requiring less stuff.
Then again, you can always forgo packing the car and just practice in your backyard. Pee in the yard and eat breakfast at your favorite diner with leaves in your hair.
by Heather
The wonderful thing about an almost-nine-month old is that fabulous head control that just screams “put me in a baby jogger and let’s see how fast this thing can go.”
This weekend, I had the very real pleasure of sending my husband out for a run with not one baby, but both!! I had a full extra half hour of near-sleep (after loading everyone up and making some mini waffles for the road) and a luxurious, uninterrupted shower so I could start making pancakes and bacon without anyone crawling up my leg. Yay!
Send your partner out for a short run with the jogging stroller and you can catch up on sleep, phone calls, or reading. Make sure to check with your pediatrician before the first trip for any safety tips.
by Whitney
While you’re still making all that good fresh baby food, hold a food swap with some other mom friends to introduce your kid to new flavors and broaden his palate. Here’s how:
- Make a huge double batch of sweet potatoes or winter squash (steam, puree, put in a large tupperware in the fridge)
- Your pals, Bettina and Henrietta, make a huge batch of lentils or stewed pears following the same process
- You give some to Big B and some to Miz H and open your arms to receive from them.
- When you get home, put the fresh and tasty mush in ice cube trays, freeze into little food cubes, and store in labeled ziploc freezer bags (after some experimentation, I now realize how impractical it is to keep those suckers safely frozen and swap ‘em that way!)
Voila! All three babes have some new foods to learn about.
Our favorite combos were : Squash/Pear, Carrot/Apple, Pear/Mango/Banana, Carrot/Sweet Potato.
Worst experience: Green Beans/Tofu, Carrot/Parsnip
by Heather
I have a soft spot for this contest entry from Damselfly because I played Mary at the church Christmas pageant for several years (although always with a doll… and always as a distracted teenager) and I think it’s pretty darn fun to ride donkeys too (that’s a story for another day)!
The holiday season is here, along with a great opportunity for your family to be part of a re-enactment. For example, many churches celebrate Christmas with re-enactments of the manger scene, complete with a Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph). If your bambino is small enough, your family might be just what a local church is looking for in a baby Jesus.
When a friend’s friend was looking for a young baby to be Jesus in a recent portrayal of the first Christmas (yes, it was a few months early), she asked my family because our son was around one month old. The re-enactment crew dressed us up in ancient-looking clothes — and as Mary, I got to ride a live donkey! All eyes were on our baby as people came and looked ahead to the holiday season. The photos will be fun to share with our son when he’s older.
She suggests that for the rest of the year, we should be on the lookout for local groups that participate in war re-enactments or other historical event that have local significance.
Don’t forget to take lots of photos — that’s the cardinal rule whenever costumes are involved. Thanks Damselfly!
