And now you know why Sam & I have trouble finding a place to sleep…

Welcome to the May 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Emergency Preparedness
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared their plans to keep their families safe. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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If you prepare for the just-in-case car scenarios, you can all rest easier.

Even if you think you're out just running errands or taking a leisurely drive through scenic views, it's prudent to have a just-in-case kit stashed in your car for emergencies. Just a small selection of basic but very useful supplies will help tide you over if your car breaks down somewhere remote, if you get lost or stranded in bad weather, or even if you're fleeing from a natural disaster or other urgent scenario where you have to rely on just what's in your car as you evacuate.

Your car safety kit isn't necessarily supposed to have everything you might want or need in any situation, but it will contain the most likely helpmeets. Except in the most dire circumstances, it should you see you through until you can reach safety and replenish your supplies.

This list is in no particular order, as items popped into my head. That makes it fresh and engaging. Yes, let's go with that.

{Amazon links are affiliate and are provided for your shopping/foraging convenience in finding similar products for your safety stash.}

• Flashlight:

  Because emergencies don't always happen in daylight or well-lit areas! Include a pack of backup batteries, or invest in a hand-cranking or solar-powered model. If it's solar-powered, be sure to periodically charge it in the sun.

• Blanket:

  I'd go for fleece or wool so it will be warm (even if wet) but durable. Fleece folds up pretty small, which is nice if you have a compact car. Have at least one full-size one on hand and potentially more if you have a lot of family members to cover in an impromptu car-camping situation. Blankets come in handy for more than just emergencies, though: They're great partners at picnics and outdoor concerts, they can shield small passengers from the sun (or is it just my vampire kids that demand that?), and they can cover up conspicuous shopping bags or backpacks that might attract thieves peering in your windows.

• Jumper cables:

  In case you need a boost. And here's another tip: Replace your car's battery regularly, about every three to four years. If you're in the U.S. and are not sure if your battery's heading to the auto-parts graveyard, you can take it to AutoZone for free testing (and to get a replacement). Ask me how I know this. We have certain children who like to do "pretend driving" with all the lights and the radio and windshield wipers on — and wouldn't you know it? — our car wouldn't start after the latest round. When we took our battery in, the reader said — I kid you not — "Bad Battery." Ha ha! It calls it like it sees it. After that experience (and two days of waiting around at home for helpers to visit us for a jump and a ride), we also purchased a Jump-N-Carry starter that promises to jump start cars without a second vehicle being needed. We haven't used it yet to vouch for, but I like the extra peace of mind that we're that much more self-sufficient … assuming we don't have a Bad Battery!

I've been meaning to take Alrik on a spin with the WeeRide bike seat
Mikko used to love so much.


Alrik was terrified at just seeing the bike — afraid it was going to zoom off on its own and crush him? I don't know — and not sure about the bike helmet.


We got him on the WeeRide seat but had to adjust the straps down down down from when Mikko last rode in it at about age three. As you can see, Alrik was pretty freaked out just sitting there, and I thought this was going to be a disaster.


We took off for a little glide, Alrik clutching onto my shirt with one hand and the bike with the other. And then … he started laughing. Phew!

We're sharing our final poems from the Weekly Parenting Poetry Workshop:

Week 5:

Enjoy

This week — I can't believe it's our last! — we're embracing the camaraderie of parenthood and reveling in our children's joy and creativity.

If you have a poem or poems posted on your blog, link up below, or paste your poem(s) in the comments!

Have you joined NPN's new Flickr group yet? Over 1,100 beautiful, inspiring, and hilarious photos have already been added to our Flickr pool, and all 150 (and counting!) of our group's members have been faithfully "starring" their favorite photographs of what natural parenting really looks like, propelling their top picks closer to winning some of the nearly $1,100 in photography-related prizes offered in our Flickr contest.

Now through May 15, visit the Natural Parents Network Flickr Pool — join, if you haven't yet! — and peruse the pics for the ones that speak to you. Vote for as many as you like by clicking on the star marked "favorite" that appears above the lefthand corner of each photo.

When I saw my two boys sitting there in their matching Tea Collection shirts
(from a giveaway I did a year and a half ago),
I had to grab the camera and ask them to strike a pose.


Remember back to Christmas 2011?
The boys were seven months and four and a half years.
The shirts still fit and look great — as do the little guys!


Different shirts, same timeframe. Aw!
And now they're almost two and almost six — hard to believe!


I love a look back, and seeing how adorable they still are.
There's some brotherly affection.