Quick, before I get Sidetrack'd

The Sleepy Wrap was my first baby carrier (other than the Infantino front carrier I used with Little) and I fell in love with it the first time I wore Boo in it. The wrap is still my favorite newborn carrier (I recommend them to everyone who asks – and maybe even a few people who don’t), and I used the Sleepy Wrap a lot with Baby Girl in her first few months (it is currently out on loan). The makers of the Sleepy Wrap, Nap, Inc., are a great company with great products and great customer service.

About a year ago, Nap, Inc. introduced a new carrier, the Boba, designed for older infants and toddlers (9 months to 4 years), and as soon as I saw it I wanted one. They retail for $100+, and I just couldn’t justify the cost since I don’t have that many opportunities to wear Boo right now because I’m usually wearing Baby Girl. I did, however, begin entering any Boba giveaway that I came across and hoping that I might get one that way.

So, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Lindsey while I was out of town in which she casually mentioned seeing a comment on my blog from Drea about me winning the Boba giveaway on her blog. I was so excited! It had been a few days since Drea left the comment, so I quickly e-mailed her hoping it hadn’t been too long and she’d drawn another winner. It hadn’t! I soon had a shipping confirmation and the package was scheduled to arrive at my house the day after we got home from our trip.

The delivery guy in brown dropped my new Boba off during naptime, and I couldn’t wait until a child was awake to try it on. So, I unpacked it and put it on right away. After Matt got home I tried it on with Boo and wore him around the house for a few minutes. He didn’t want to get out, but he had to so Matt and Little could try it out. Little loved it, too (she rode again for a few minutes the other night when I was showing it to a friend and didn’t want to get out).

Finally I have a carrier that Matt hasn’t deemed too “girly” for him to wear! It is the Aspen pattern; very neutral, very lovely. And I think he liked the idea of wearing one of the older kids while I wear Baby Girl.

Now we just need the weather to cool down a bit so we can go hiking!

Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for this post. I’m just excited about winning this carrier. And I love Nap, Inc. products and would recommend them to anyone.

It’s been several weeks since I participated in Ten on Tuesday, but I enjoy answering the random (and sometimes bizarre) questions so I thought I would play along again this week. For more Ten on Tuesday, visit Root and Rings.

1. If you could trade lives with another blogger for a day, who would it be and why?
I thought of a couple of answers to this question, but I think I would have to choose my sister Lu. If I traded lives with her for a day I would get to spend the day playing with and loving on three of my nephews and she would get to spend the day with my kiddos.

2. Do you prefer receiving handmade or store bought gifts? Be honest!
It all depends on the gift, and I don’t mean that as a non-answer, it’s the truth. A couple of my all-time favorite gifts have been the beautiful apron that Matt’s grandmother made for me a couple of years ago and the various quilts my grandmother has made for me over the years.

3. Would you rather camp or stay in a hotel?
I prefer to stay in a hotel if we are going to be doing anything other than staying around the campsite. If we are going somewhere where all of our activities will be outdoorsy (hiking, playing in the river, etc), then I really enjoy camping (or at least I enjoy the idea of camping, we’ve never been camping with our kids).

4. What’s your favorite comfort food?
That’s gotta be either homemade mac & cheese or mashed potatoes.

5. You’re having a really bad day at work. How do you unwind when you come home?
Since my work consists of staying home with the kids, I like to get out of the house (either with the girls or alone) for a bit. If that’s not feasible, I hang out with Matt in the evening and/or read, blog hop, or watch TV.

6. What’s your favorite chore? (Or, the chore you hate the least)
Hmmm…It’s not that I mind cleaning the house, I just try to do it as little as possible. My favorite chore is probably laundry – I can throw a load in and go do something else until it’s done.

7. What got you interested in blogging?
I started reading blogs (Amy’s Humble Musings was the first one I read regularly) in late 2005 or early 2006. Matt has blogged off and on for several years (and is a web designer and developer), so when I found out I was pregnant with Little I asked him to set up a subdomain on his domain for me to blog about the pregnancy (we had recently moved away from all of our family and friends, so it was a way to keep them informed – most of these posts can be found in my archives). In early 2007 I decided I wanted to pick blogging up again on my own domain, and sidetrack’d was born.

8. Are you currently reading a book? What is it?
Currently I’m reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. I highly recommend Don’t Waste Your Life.

9. Do you have a favorite artist?
I’m taking this to mean all forms of art, not just visual art. But still I can’t say that I have a favorite artist that I can think of.

10. Have you ever met someone famous?
I met one of our state congressmen when I was in 5th grade, but I think that’s the closest I’ve come.

Okay, so I’ve neglected my little friend the blog for a few weeks now. The first week I just didn’t feel like writing. No other reason, just didn’t feel like typing. The second week we were out of town for several days visiting my brother and his family. I didn’t have time to write except late at night, and then I pretty much fell into bed asleep. Last week I spent every naptime and several evenings engrossed in a book.

Today I would like to compose a coherent and thought out post, but I can’t seem to string sentences together. What’s with that?? I would also like to post about our trip to my brother’s house, but I want to upload pictures and that’s not happening either (I can’t figure out how to get them from my phone to the computer).

Instead, I’m posting some random bits and pieces from our lives lately…

~Matt starts a new job on Monday. This is exciting and a bit disconcerting at the same time. We’ve drawn a paycheck from the same place for the last 9 years. Although I am thrilled for Matt’s new opportunity, there is a sense of stability lost at the same time. I have no reservations about him taking this new position, but there is a bit of “fear of the unknown” that I’m battling.

~One of our big changes with the new job involves budgeting. For 7 of our 9 years of marriage our primary income (the one we budget on) has been paid monthly. Matt’s new employer pays weekly. I have to change my mindset as I approach our budget for next month.

~One of the great things about Matt’s new job is his schedule. He will work 7 to 5 Monday through Thursday and 7 to 11 on Fridays. Because he is trading a 40-45 minute commute for a 15-20 minute commute his time at home won’t really change Monday through Thursday, but we’ll have an extra half day every weekend!

~Matt had to make this statement to Boo on Saturday: “Don’t ride your horse n@ked in the living room!” File that under things you never thought you’d have to say.

~Saturday I asked Little a question and she answered, “Indeed!” Sometimes she talks like she’s 30 years old.

~One of my bestest friends is having a baby in a few weeks. I’ve bought 4 gifts for her. I really need to stop (it’s not like I don’t have my own baby girl to buy for).

~Matt’s Father’s Day gift was more coffee preparation paraphernalia. We have a friend who refers to Matt as Mr. Coffee. There’s a reason for that.

~The baby is teething. She’s been a bear the last couple of days.

~She also turned 5 months old last week. I’m struggling with the fact that she’ll start solid foods in less than a month.

~Little wrote her first sentence yesterday (in Matt’s Father’s Day card). I love you. I had to spell it for her, but she wrote it all. I’ll have to post a picture.

~I just bought Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I’ll let you know how it goes. This experience could be a deciding factor in whether or not we homeschool next year.

~I bought a new cloth diaper last week (in amethyst). I know you’re surprised.

~I got the kids a small inflatable pool today. They were so excited you would have thought we bought a water park.

And I think that’s all I have for now. Hope you’re having a happy Monday!

I am in a hotel room some 8+ hours from home missing Matt and trying to get three little people to sleep.

These last couple of weeks, blog posts, like so many half-finished thoughts swimming in my mind, have failed to make it into words.

Now I want to write, but typing on my phone is cumbersome.

I’ll be back soon, though, recording this thing I call “life”.