camp mail
somebody hold my hand
Just an hour ago, I dropped Emma off in the woods. For the next four days she'll be off at 4-H Camp.
We checked in, dropped sunscreen and bug spray with the camp nurse, got checked for head lice, and tucked her in to her top bunk. She met her counselors, her Nanticoke tribemates, and she latched on to her friends.
I checked to be sure she was okay. "Are you nervous? Are you sure??"
And I checked again. And then maybe even one more time.
And then that was it. I'd done all I could do. I kissed her–a big wet one right on the lips.
She said goodbye to her sisters.
And she gave Birdy the biggest, longest hug and kiss of all of us.
There was no working up to this. No easing in to being away from home for so many nights. Suddenly she was just ready. Fearless.
And all this week, I'm going to tell myself that her independence is a sign of good parenting, and that she misses us, and this afternoon we'll probably write her a letter–because nothings better than camp mail.
I'm ready for this, right? Growing up is a good thing.
I think.
Just an hour ago, I dropped Emma off in the woods. For the next four days she'll be off at 4-H Camp.
We checked in, dropped sunscreen and bug spray with the camp nurse, got checked for head lice, and tucked her in to her top bunk. She met her counselors, her Nanticoke tribemates, and she latched on to her friends.
I checked to be sure she was okay. "Are you nervous? Are you sure??"
And I checked again. And then maybe even one more time.
And then that was it. I'd done all I could do. I kissed her–a big wet one right on the lips.
She said goodbye to her sisters.
And she gave Birdy the biggest, longest hug and kiss of all of us.
There was no working up to this. No easing in to being away from home for so many nights. Suddenly she was just ready. Fearless.
And all this week, I'm going to tell myself that her independence is a sign of good parenting, and that she misses us, and this afternoon we'll probably write her a letter–because nothings better than camp mail.
I'm ready for this, right? Growing up is a good thing.
I think.
Clever Girls Review: Beaba Bib’Expresso
You may have noticed in my sidebar, that I am part of the Clever Girls Collective. This is a great group of women bloggers that I am happy to be part of. Though I don't do many reviews on here on my blog anymore, every so often, something strikes me, and I take the opportunity to share it with all of you. This review was one of those opportunities given to me through the Clever Girls Collective.
It probably makes me sound a bit old-fashioned and dowdy, but some of the gadgets available to modern moms are amazing. Even from the birth of my first, to today, raising my fourth the changes in gear, products, philosphies and even healthier, greener choices is astounding.
This little product I've had the chance to review is the Beaba Bib'Expresso. If baby food and baby bottles met Starbucks, I think they might give birth to the Bib'Expresso.
The Bib'Expresso is a countertop appliance that warms water for baby bottles, perfectly warms jars of baby's food and sterilizes and stores extra bottles.
If you can operate a coffee maker, you can work the Bib'Expresso. By simply adding water to the well at the top and pushing a button, the water is heated to a proper bottle temperature. Another button is pressed and you can dispense water into your waiting bottle.
While convenience is a great thing, the Beaba also reduces air bubbles and hot spots in your baby's bottle.
At the back of the Bib'Expresso is a removable compartment that can be filled with water and your baby bottles, placed in the microwave for bottle sterilization. The extra bottles can then be stored in this same compartment at the back of the machine.
If you're past the bottle stage, or if you're breastfeeding baby and have no need for bottle-prep, the Bib'Expresso also works for warming jars of baby food. Simply fill the well at the top once again, place a jar in the water well and choose your proper setting–depending on whether the food is room temp or straight from the fridge.
While I haven't given this product a hefty, long-term workout, I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Not to mention, it's kind of cute sitting on top of my counter. With a self-cleaning option to keep the unit sanitary, it seems like a pretty interesting tool to add to a new mother's repertoire. I'm thinking of middle-of-the-night feedings, when, through sleepy eyes, it might be kind of nice to press a button and have my bottles ready.
And while I tend to err on the side of making-do and frugality when it comes to baby gear, this might be a really fun and out-of-the-ordinary gift for a new mom (or a mother of four who deserves something modern, fresh and new.)
What do you think? Kind of fun? Practical and helpful? Or over-the-top? I'd love to hear!
The Beaba Bib'Expresso can be found at Beaba USA, and amazon
+++++++++++++++++++
While Béaba provided me with a Bib'expresso to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Béaba,Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.
You may have noticed in my sidebar, that I am part of the Clever Girls Collective. This is a great group of women bloggers that I am happy to be part of. Though I don't do many reviews on here on my blog anymore, every so often, something strikes me, and I take the opportunity to share it with all of you. This review was one of those opportunities given to me through the Clever Girls Collective.
It probably makes me sound a bit old-fashioned and dowdy, but some of the gadgets available to modern moms are amazing. Even from the birth of my first, to today, raising my fourth the changes in gear, products, philosphies and even healthier, greener choices is astounding.
This little product I've had the chance to review is the Beaba Bib'Expresso. If baby food and baby bottles met Starbucks, I think they might give birth to the Bib'Expresso.
The Bib'Expresso is a countertop appliance that warms water for baby bottles, perfectly warms jars of baby's food and sterilizes and stores extra bottles.
If you can operate a coffee maker, you can work the Bib'Expresso. By simply adding water to the well at the top and pushing a button, the water is heated to a proper bottle temperature. Another button is pressed and you can dispense water into your waiting bottle.
While convenience is a great thing, the Beaba also reduces air bubbles and hot spots in your baby's bottle.
At the back of the Bib'Expresso is a removable compartment that can be filled with water and your baby bottles, placed in the microwave for bottle sterilization. The extra bottles can then be stored in this same compartment at the back of the machine.
If you're past the bottle stage, or if you're breastfeeding baby and have no need for bottle-prep, the Bib'Expresso also works for warming jars of baby food. Simply fill the well at the top once again, place a jar in the water well and choose your proper setting–depending on whether the food is room temp or straight from the fridge.
While I haven't given this product a hefty, long-term workout, I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Not to mention, it's kind of cute sitting on top of my counter. With a self-cleaning option to keep the unit sanitary, it seems like a pretty interesting tool to add to a new mother's repertoire. I'm thinking of middle-of-the-night feedings, when, through sleepy eyes, it might be kind of nice to press a button and have my bottles ready.
And while I tend to err on the side of making-do and frugality when it comes to baby gear, this might be a really fun and out-of-the-ordinary gift for a new mom (or a mother of four who deserves something modern, fresh and new.)
What do you think? Kind of fun? Practical and helpful? Or over-the-top? I'd love to hear!
The Beaba Bib'Expresso can be found at Beaba USA, and amazon
+++++++++++++++++++
While Béaba provided me with a Bib'expresso to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Béaba,Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.