TulipGirl

When my cousin was expecting her first baby, I told her I wanted to get her a sling or baby carrier. Since this was her first, she wasn’t sure about which one to choose. Several friends recommended a Mei Tai-style carrier–especially since I was slow to get her this gift and her infant is now an energetic and mobile 9 month old!

So, I’m gathering links to illustrate how to use a Mei Tai / ABC carrier. Any recommendations?

Websites:
Mama Toto ABCs
Mama Toto Carrying a Toddler
The Baby Wearer Pouch Links
The Baby Wearer Benefits Links
The Baby Wearer ABC Links
Kozy Carrier Instructions
Wrap Your Baby
Nurtured Little One

Videos:
ABC Front Carry
ABC Back Carry
Pouch Carry
With an Bigger Child

(Link thanks to Devona, Kristen, Kurt, Renata, Suzi and Rachel!)

“Children do not accidentally become righteous leaders or emotionally healthy and productive adults–any more than seeds thrown randomly to the wind grow to be part of a thriving garden. Simply throwing children into a cultural tornado and hoping for the best gives them little chance of living up to their potential or coming out unharmed. Someone needs to take responsibility for their nurture, protection, nourishment, intellectual development, manners, recreation, personal needs, and spiritual development. Someone needs to commit time and energy into staying close to them as they grow, encouraging and correcting and teaching.”

–Sally Clarkson, The Mission of Motherhood

We dropped Hubby off at his Uncle Sonny’s for his trip up to the Maine woods to go bear hunting, and then the boys and I went to Uncle Barry’s and Aunt Sherry’s. I knew Aunt Sherry long before I knew Hubby–and she’s the one who introduced us when we were just 17. Since her youngest is now that age I had to ask her, “What were you thinking when you introduced us!? We were so young!” Ahh, but it has been nearly two decades of bliss, so I’m not complaining!

The boys played for hours on the tire swing that cousin Evan put up for them.

That evening the boys went with Uncle Bar, Natalie and Evan to. . . The Buck to watch Monster Trucks like Robby the Racing Rabbit and the Pink Puppy. They stayed through a rain shower and had so much fun! They learned rhymes like, “When we went to the Buck, we needed to up-chuck and said “Duck! Or you’ll be out of luck!” Evan and Natalie also taught them Indian Leg Wrestling. I visited with Aliza and little C while the boys were out at the Buck. We all slept soundly that night!

Recovering from a week of the sickies, we started out Friday morning instead of Thursday night as originally planned. We stopped at Jack’s at exit 14 in Georgia–a family tradition–to eat the best wood-smoked barbecue on the globe.

We talked and sang and talked and laughed on the drive up. The boys travel well. *grin* At 2 a.m. we were driving through Washington, D.C. Hubby was pointing out landmarks to the boys, and on a lark we exited to drive through D.C. We saw the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, and then decided to park and walk to the White House. Yes, at 2 a.m. It was great–no crowds of people, no horrid traffic–just a ton of Capital Hill police officers and a few drunk college students, one of whom took this family picture for us.

Growth and God. Grace and struggles. Mothering and loss. Life turned upside down, but God holding tight.

That’s why this post is a must read.

As an incentive to critical thought, Hubby has exegeted this classic song and now the boys are humming it as our homeschool anthem.

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and pow

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Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.

made with Adam
Genesis 2:16-17; James 2:10

in his first transgression
Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:22

(via OPC/CRTA)

“Diving out of the window has become a habit for the crocodile, called Khenar, with concerned neighbors saying it was the third time he had used that method to flee. . . The crocodile lost one tooth in the latest fall but was otherwise unscathed. . .

Emergency services put the crocodile in a local aquarium to recover from his fall. Within a few hours his concerned owner came to pick him up and the crocodile was last seen lying on the back seat of his owner’s car.”

–Reuters

This story reminds me of Andrei Kurkov’s novel set in Kyiv, Death and the Penguin It was my favorite bit of modern Ukrainian literature, possibly because I recognized so many landmarks and the quirkiness in the novel seemed so true to the Ukrainian friends I had. So reading about the crocodile living in someone’s flat? Truth is sometimes as strange as fiction.

Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?

A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein thy were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.

forbidden fruit
Genesis 3:6

(via OPC/CRTA)

Join in encouraging mamas and promoting breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week! Unlike years past, I won’t be posting daily on this topic, but I know that Kristen and the Lactivist and others will be. Or follow the WBW news to see what is going on around the world or in your neighborhood.