Saturday, June 27, 2015

Calling for submissions for the July 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Summer Fun

We continue to be delighted with the inspiration and wisdom our Carnival of Natural Parenting participants share, and we hope you'll join us for the next carnival in July 2015! (Check out June, April, March, February, January, and a summary of all our 2014 posts, 2013 posts, 2012 posts, and 2011 posts if you missed any.)

Your co-hosts are Lauren at Hobo Mama and Dionna at Code Name: Mama.

Here are the submission details for July 2015:

Theme: Summer Fun: In the Northern hemisphere, the dog days of summer are upon us. Share your favorite summertime outside games, let us know what your family's go-to summer products are, give us tips on how to beat the heat, or write something else inspired by the sun.

Deadline: Tuesday, July 7. Fill out the webform (at the link or at the bottom) and email your submission to us by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time: CarNatPar {at} NaturalParentsNetwork.com

Carnival date: Tuesday, July 14. Before you post, we will send you an email with a little blurb in html to paste into your submission that will introduce the carnival. You will publish your post on July 14 and email us the link if you haven't done so already. Once everyone's posts are published by noon Eastern time, we will send out a finalized list of all the participants' links to generate lots of link love for your site! We'll include full instructions in the email we send before the posting date.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Summery goodness

I'm super behind on my photo editing
(I just finished the backlog of Karsten at four months …
four months late)

so …
more recent Instagram pics!

First time back wearing! It's a hit. #babywearing #wearallthebabies #meitai

A photo posted by Lauren Wayne (@hobomamacom) on




I'd call baby #Crocs impractical except for how much they make me smile. #babycrocs

A photo posted by Lauren Wayne (@hobomamacom) on



Unsurprisingly, someone's favorite game right now is pretending to be a baby.

A photo posted by Lauren Wayne (@hobomamacom) on

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Three boys



All three at once facing the camera and smiling? Win!



Good moods all around.



Watch out — attack baby!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Family of five at the beach



We went to the beach for our annual silhouette summer portrait.



Our configuration has changed a lot
since our first:


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Dear me: Nothing will go the way you've planned


Hobo Mama wants you to know she's a professional blogger! Look at how professional she's being!


Welcome to the June 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Talking to Yourself

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written letters to themselves. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.





Dear Lauren of 2007,

You have a new baby, and though he is indecently large, you know in your heart that everyone wishes their baby could be so impressive. You know precisely how you're going to parent, and it's going to be the right way. Enjoy feeling sure of everything you believe. Enjoy feeling just the teensiest bit smug, in fact.

Because eight years later, you'll know the truth: You don't get to decide what happens.

I'm not trying to scare you, just give you the honest news. Parenting is not a vending machine where you pay in your money, make your selections, and trust to the technology to drop what you desire at your feet. Or maybe it is like a vending machine, but one of those janky ones that keeps spitting your dollar bill back at you and for some reason won't take your nickel — even though it's a perfectly good nickel!! — and once you get the indifferent keys to respond to your request, it turns, turns, turns the spiral and then … your prize hangs. Just there, in your sight, but behind immutable glass.

Maybe I am trying to scare you.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Wordless Wednesday: Does anyone else's baby sound like this?

The way Karsten laughs cracks me up.

He's always cooed, babbled, and fussed like this, too:

something of a cross between a dolphin
and a pterodactyl.



Whatever the cause,
I can't help but laugh along.